Pork Butt - should I cut it.


 
Mark Foreman

Mark Foreman

TVWBB Wizard
Need some advice, have a COSTCO 15 point butt to smoke on Saturday for my daughter. Will be eaten Sunday.

The question is - should I cut it in half a cook 2 each 7.5 pounders, or cook it whole.

I am leaning on halving to save time.

Thoughts?
 
Never seen a pork anything over 8 or so pounds.....and I cut those into 2 or 3 pieces.
I wouldn't hesitate personally......like mentioned above more surface area for bark and spice.
Or you could go with 2 different flavors although it won't stand out as much as using 2 different sauces.
 
timothy said:
15#? Is it a whole shoulder ( butt & picnic) ?
Costco sells twin packs are you sure it's not two?
Click to expand...
Good question. I usually get my shoulders from Buds Custom Meats in Rohnert Park. Their meats are excelle. Daughter got the butt from COSTCO. Whether or not it’s in 2 pieces, I will still smoke in 2 pieces in the interest of bark and time followed by 4 hour chest rest.

Plan is to cook at 275 with H2O and ACV spritz. Wrap after bark is set.
 
How about trimming one of the butts so that the money muscle is exposed for most of its length. Adds great opportunity for that extra bark and expands the pork butt universe. Sliced money muscle is soooo delicious !
 
You'll save some time, probably but not as much as you think. It won't hurt anything and you'll have more bark. The downside is you'll have two pieces of meat to keep track of.
 
Thank you all for the help! It’s appreciated.

You were correct Timothy, it’s in 2 pieces. 15.5 lbs total. Going to my daughter’s picnic on Sunday to feed ~20.


Going to cook as 2 pieces, rubbed with SPOGP, smoke at 275 with red oak wood chunks (Sharpe wood) in the WSK or Smokin-it #3 electric (last decision). Spritz as needed. Wrap at 165 (bark dependent) followed by extended rest in a cooler.

Cooking on Saturday. Planning on 12 hours for the cook. Pull it Saturday PM and mix with 50% of the vinegar sauce.
On Sunday, 2 hours is 200F oven to reheat followed by 1/4 of the vinegar sauce to brighten it up.
 
Bone-in, cut in two. 40-60. If you have space. Otherwise let it roll. If boneless, you may want to cut and tie, or at least tie to get an even cook.
Cooking on?
 
Most likely the E6 but I also have a Smokin-it model 3 electric that does wonders with pork. I just need to decide.
 
Darryl - swazies said:
I still need to locate said money muscle....seen it on TV or whatever but I never seem to find it.....it's like some of those other things that maybe don't exist...............o_O
Click to expand...
Hi Darryl,
It does indeed exist. Almost every pork box I have judged has sliced medallions of money muscle.
Place a bone-in butt infront of you with the bone side facing away from you, fat cap down. Unless the butt has had some strange butchering, the money muscle will be staring you in the face... :)
 
Bob Bass said:
Hi Darryl,
It does indeed exist. Almost every pork box I have judged has sliced medallions of money muscle.
Place a bone-in butt infront of you with the bone side facing away from you, fat cap down. Unless the butt has had some strange butchering, the money muscle will be staring you in the face... :)
Click to expand...
Excellent tip.....I will look for it....I was just making a joke....a real stretch joke, I didn't want to get in trouble up in here.
 
We’re it me, I’d run it overnight and let it have a four hour rest before pulling. Shredded pork overnight will not be AS good as freshly pulled. But, that’s just one man’s opinion. But, then again I don’t wrap, use water or worry.
 
How do you plan on serving it?
I served a third of my last few pork shoulder cooks with chili verde sauce, a third with bbq sauce and the last third plain.
This was actually a self serve situation and this went over very well with the people we invited over for the meals.
We also served a bunch of veggies with it.
The bbq (sweet baby rays) sauce portion was the least chosen every time.
 
Andy Kaminski said:
How do you plan on serving it?
I served a third of my last few pork shoulder cooks with chili verde sauce, a third with bbq sauce and the last third plain.
This was actually a self serve situation and this went over very well with the people we invited over for the meals.
We also served a bunch of veggies with it.
The bbq (sweet baby rays) sauce portion was the least chosen every time.
Click to expand...
I usually serve it “dry” and have sauces on the side, if I’ve done it right the straight pulled non sauced product is better than any sauce, once in a while I’ll use something but, I’ve spent all that time making the pork as delicious as possible why in the world would I want to cover up all that flavor with sugar and hot sauce? Not exactly but, that’s the concept.
I don’t use even my own sauce very often. I want meat not something covering it up.
There is an old classic chefs line, “You’ve spent all this time making something special, don’t cover it up with paint!”
End rant.
 
Andy Kaminski said:
How do you plan on serving it?
I served a third of my last few pork shoulder cooks with chili verde sauce, a third with bbq sauce and the last third plain.
This was actually a self serve situation and this went over very well with the people we invited over for the meals.
We also served a bunch of veggies with it.
The bbq (sweet baby rays) sauce portion was the least chosen every time.
Click to expand...
It’s going to end up as pulled pork with vinegar sauce. I’m just cookin’ the pig and making the sauce.
Going to start it about 6AM Sat morning due to new fridge delivery on Friday. Figuring on 12ish hour in the smoker followed by a long rest in the ice chest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top