Pork Butt Preparation - Trim Off Fat Layer Prior to Smoke?


 
G

Gene_N

TVWBB Fan
I smoked 2 butts last weekend. Costco purchase weight was 17.59 lbs. Prior to apply the rub, I trimmed 19oz of surface fat and sinewy material. I smoked it 8 hours overnight then covered and finished off in my 280F Weber grill to an int temp 192-194. After resting 3 hours, I pulled it.

The meat was tasty, tender but appeared to be drier than my last butt smokes. However, because I trimmed, I had a higher yield when it was all said and done.

Has this been your experience? I realize every smoke is different but with only 3 pork butt smokes under my belt, I've developed a repeatable and documented procedure and have only smoke Costco butts. I got plenty of compliments so I guess it's a double edge sword....
 
Gene....... I think people tend to over trim butts. I just remove rather large chunks and remove any excess after cooking. Secondly, I cook to a tender state vice a temperature. When the bone wiggles freely I know it is ready.
 
I find that if I trim to a thin layer, what's left will mostly crisp up as bark, if that's what you mean. Wish I'd only started trimming years ago.
 
i think your tenderness was a factor of not cooking it enough vs trimming too much.

i've done several comparisons of trimming off the huge fat cap - i couldn't tell the difference in the meat.
However I COULD tell the difference on the grates and in the water pan.
 
I trim the entire fat cap off for two reasons: 1. I don't want to eat all that fat. There is plenty of fat marbled in to baste the meat. 2. I want the bark (which was under the fat cap) in the edible meat. However, I do foil the butt after the crusty bark sets as determined by the fingernail test. If it doesn't scrape off with a fingernail and is crusty (at about 160*) I wrap the meat in foil to retain moister.
 
I think that 8 hours was not nearly enough. I usually go to closer to 16. Also, if you're wrapping it on then cooking longer, you'll not get your fat to become bark. The bark happens when the fat melts and the skin crisps. I never trim except for big chunks, and always end up with a fully 360* bark. At least that's my experience.
 
Bill Spearman said:
Gene....... I think people tend to over trim butts. I just remove rather large chunks and remove any excess after cooking. Secondly, I cook to a tender state vice a temperature. When the bone wiggles freely I know it is ready.
Click to expand...

My Costco does not sell bone-in. I joined the Restaurant Depot recently. These are the best prices I found and also sell bone-in shoulder and picnic cuts. I will try bone-in in the future and use the wiggle method to check for tenderness.

Michael G. (Canada Mike) said:
I think that 8 hours was not nearly enough. I usually go to closer to 16. Also, if you're wrapping it on then cooking longer, you'll not get your fat to become bark. The bark happens when the fat melts and the skin crisps. I never trim except for big chunks, and always end up with a fully 360* bark. At least that's my experience.
Click to expand...

I'm a bit confused. Isn't bark the rubbed, exterior meat that is roasted and darkened by the smoke/heat? It's not fat. My father would roast untrimmed butts (Filipino Lechon) in the 350-375 F oven for 4-5 hours. We ate small pieces of the crispy exterior fat.


My 22.5 WSM can hold heat for 8-10 hours before it starts to die. Instead of adding more briquettes or a full lit chimney, I will pull the butts, pan (int temp 160ish F) and wrap and finish off in 280-300F Genesis or oven to 190-194 int temp; usually one hour more. I'm an impatient and hungry weekend warrior. Smoking 16 hours would make eating time on Monday.

I will try cook longer, int temps approaching 200 F and see.
 
I trim the thick areas of fat but leave some. When pulling I do a lot of quality control and remove the chunks of fat. I also agree that you must cook till the butt is tender and not a specific temp.

Mike
 
Mike Freel said:
I trim the thick areas of fat but leave some. When pulling I do a lot of quality control and remove the chunks of fat. I also agree that you must cook till the butt is tender and not a specific temp.

Mike
Click to expand...

How do you determine tenderness in boneless butts, with a temp probe? If it slides in/out like buttah, it's done? I will try it but with 3 pork butt smokes (6 total butts) under my belt, it's a bit too touchy feely for me. Is there such a thing as overcooking a butt?
 
Gene_N said:
How do you determine tenderness in boneless butts, with a temp probe? If it slides in/out like buttah, it's done?
Click to expand...

Yes! And you can overcook a butt. More-so if you do HH (like me) than low and slow which is more forgiving.
To you're OP I never trim butts and always cook fat-cap down.
Works for me :wsm:

Tim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top