Large Pork Butts vs Small Pork Butts


 

OliverLeveritt

TVWBB Member
My brother used to cook a lot of butts on his big offset stick burner for his BBQ restaurant in Tennessee. He said that in his experience, smaller butts (under 8 - 10 lbs) were more difficult for some reason -- just didn't come out as good. He preferred the 10-12 lb range.
What has the populace here noted on the subject regarding size when cooking on WSM (other than cook time)?
 
I don't have enough data to credit or blame any of my pork shoulder cooks on size. Hopefully others that cook more of them will chime in with their data.

hey Chris: I kept the B word out of it :D
 
Gee, I had not though about that Chris!🤣🤣

I think larger pieces of any meat are easier for several reasons:
1- more innate moisture which makes them far more forgiving.
2- that increased mass is less temperature sensitive fluctuations are a smaller headache to render a good end result.
3- there’s simply more to enjoy!
4- there is an old adage, “larger fewer minutes per pound, smaller more…” which starts to make sense whe. You think of points one and two.
5- longer cocktail hour!
Class dismissed.
 
Hmmmmm....this thread has me re-thinking my approach for bigger butts, ;), which is cutting any of them larger 8+ lbs in half. I do this, ostensibly, to decrease cooking time. I have noticed, however, that those smaller roasts still take a heckuva long time to cook. Avg cook temp is ~ 240 and they still take a long time.
I'll try a larger roast and won't cut it and post my results after the next cook.
 
I prefer smaller because they cook quicker and I'm not left with way too much pork to eat (just wife and me). There may be a slight advantage to larger, but it's not enough for me to shy away from a 5 lb er. However, I'm always careful to make sure it includes the tiger/money muscle. :)
 
I prefer smaller because they cook quicker and I'm not left with way too much pork to eat (just wife and me). There may be a slight advantage to larger, but it's not enough for me to shy away from a 5 lb er. However, I'm always careful to make sure it includes the tiger/money muscle. :)

I'm in the same boat. I keep it below 7# unless the selection/quality just isn't where I'd like it in a smaller one.
 
The time difference between a 5# and an 8# is maybe two cocktails not enough for me to worry about too much. The leftover issue is something else, I agree, sometimes it’s just a lot of leftover stuff! That’s one reason the laudibles here convinced me that a vacuum bagger was a good investment. Storing chunks or leftover pulled pork in a sucky bag and dropping them in a pot of hot water returns the contents too darned near “just pulled” deliciousness! That reminds me, I’ve pulled a bag from the freezer and it’s languishing in the fridge, I think that sounds like lunch to me!
 
In looking back on my cooking log for 16 butts(I've cooked more, but that's all that I've got in my log) that I've smoked on my 18WSM have averaged been between 6-8lbs after trimming - all bone in.

The total time from meat on, to pulling after resting averages about 10 hrs with a target temp of 250-260F. Some have been wrapped when in the stall, most just go for a full ride.

I haven't done bigger butts primarily because we have plenty to eat with the smaller ones.

Someone will need to check my 'math' but I think proportionally, smaller butts will have more bark and smoke/seasoning penetration to inner meat that a bigger one? Not counting injecting.

Just tossing in some tidbits for chewing.
 
The time difference between a 5# and an 8# is maybe two cocktails not enough for me to worry about too much. The leftover issue is something else, I agree, sometimes it’s just a lot of leftover stuff! That’s one reason the laudibles here convinced me that a vacuum bagger was a good investment. Storing chunks or leftover pulled pork in a sucky bag and dropping them in a pot of hot water returns the contents too darned near “just pulled” deliciousness! That reminds me, I’ve pulled a bag from the freezer and it’s languishing in the fridge, I think that sounds like lunch to me!
Smoking a 10 pounder and making vacuum bags of pulled pork today myself. Most is for the freezer before snow shuts the smoker down for a while. Smoking a bigger one takes about the same amount of work and the frozen future treats are worth it to me. Hard to beat almost instant summer flavors on a cold winter day.
 
Long story short, I think the longer smoke time is required regardless of the size to get tender.
I’ve done an 8# and a 2.6#, both boneless and wrapped in foil at the stall. The 8# smoked for 10 hours at 250F, then a rest in a towel/cooler for over an hour. It fell apart as I unwrapped it. The 2.6# picnic roast went for about 4 hours at about 270F, then a rest in the towel/cooler for an hour. It did not fall apart at all and had to be pulled, so I suspect it would need to cook for just as long as the 8# to be tender.
I froze the leftovers in 1# portions and they reheat nicely in the oven, wrapped in foil.
 
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The Food Lion near me sells half-butts. I cook it low and slow just like the whole butt. Comes out wonderful.
 

 

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