Slice & Season Pork Butt Prior to Cooking?
- Thread starter Jerry S.
- Start date
Jeff Boudman
TVWBB Wizard
No, I cook mine whole. If I did slice it in half I would cook the pieces separately.
Rich G
TVWBB Honor Circle
I have never done that, but I would think that it would cook differently, even if well tied. I do mix some rub (and sometimes sauce) into the pork after I pull it, and that works out well to distribute some of that rub flavor into the meat.
If you try it, Jerry, let us know what you think!
Rich
If you try it, Jerry, let us know what you think!
Rich
Bob Bailey
TVWBB Wizard
When I cook meat, I want to taste the meat. Pork butts have sufficient fat and connective tissue to produce a moist, tender and flavorful end result when cooked properly. A good thick layer of rub is all you need to enhance flavor while still letting the pork goodness shine. If you think the flavor is lacking, you can do as Rich G suggests and add rub and/or sauce to taste once you've shredded the butt.
John K BBQ
TVWBB All-Star
I don't think I would bother with the technique you describe above for normal smoke-bbq flavor. The technique of cutting it open, adding flavoring agents and tying it back up is more common when doing other savory flavors like garlicy/herby italian/french style "roasts". Nothing stopping you from trying it with BBQ rub, I've just never heard of anyone doing it that way. Some folks like to "inject" to get flavor into the meat but injection is kind of a mess to deal with and the few times I've tried it the injection creates potential for over-seasoning near the point of injection so I quickly abandoned that technique....
Like Jeff B, when I buy a whole pork but, I always cook it whole, in my smoker. I score the fat cap in a cross-hatch pattern down a 1/4" or so into the meat, which allows some of the seasoning to get into the meat and helps the fat cap render out a bit more. I smoke at 225 to 275F until it hits about 160F and then I wrap it TIGHT with foil, and before I seal it up I put in a about 3 or 4 tablespoons of beer or apple juice. Beer is easier to find at my house
I start checking for tenderness at 198 to 202F. The probe or skewer should go in like warm butter. When that happens, wrap it back up, and let it rest in the a 180F oven or insulated box (aka your spare beer cooler) for a couple hours. When I shred it, I make sure to incorporate the liquid from the bottom of the foil wrapper and take plenty of samples. It's never dry, and usually doesn't need seasoning, but at this point, you can sprinkle in some rub, or just salt, or drizzle in some bbq sauce to adjust flavors.
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I've seen a few times where they scored the top supposedly for more bark and shorter cook time, I tried it, it worked ok.
tvwbb.com
The way you want to try it would work with country style ribs. Those are just a pork butt sliced so it would be easy to season and tie back together.
Kettle Butt
It was hotter than blazes yesterday so I decided to match it with a HH cook. Went with the Performer because it was upfront and its been awhile since I did a HH butt on a kettle. 10# butt in a half pan, rubbed with Weber's KC BBQ Rub. I saw someone score one so I tried it. Seems it lets the rub...
tvwbb.com
John K BBQ
TVWBB All-Star
I'm interested in cooking with country style ribs, I just haven't tried it yet..... I think pork steaks (if you can get them) are a better option for smoking/grilling because they have more meat, but for braising/making carnitas or some kind of stew I like having some bone/cartilage in the mix.I've seen a few times where they scored the top supposedly for more bark and shorter cook time, I tried it, it worked ok.
The way you want to try it would work with country style ribs. Those are just a pork butt sliced so it would be easy to season and tie back together.Kettle Butt
It was hotter than blazes yesterday so I decided to match it with a HH cook. Went with the Performer because it was upfront and its been awhile since I did a HH butt on a kettle. 10# butt in a half pan, rubbed with Weber's KC BBQ Rub. I saw someone score one so I tried it. Seems it lets the rub...
Jim C in Denver
TVWBB All-Star
Do it all the time. Except I don't tie it back together. I just cook it flat.
Especially easy if you start with a boneless pork shoulder (which is what they sell at Costco).
You can either butterfly the butt along the crease where the bone was. Or cut it into two separate pieces. More bark and cooks faster.
Chris shows you how:
www.virtualweberbullet.com
Especially easy if you start with a boneless pork shoulder (which is what they sell at Costco).
You can either butterfly the butt along the crease where the bone was. Or cut it into two separate pieces. More bark and cooks faster.
Chris shows you how:
Pork Butt Split In Half - The Virtual Weber Bullet
Pork butt split in half before cooking maximizes dark outside bark & shortens cooking time. This article shows how to do it for best results.
www.virtualweberbullet.com
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
have you seen this?
John K BBQ
TVWBB All-Star
No- I have not seen that technique! Thanks for sharing that! I will have to try that once the weather warms up a bit. The brevity in that video for someone who knows their way around a pit was also a beautiful thing.
Donna Fong
TVWBB Super Fan
Yes, but I don't tie it back together. The idea is to get the entire pork shoulder to cook more evenly. At comps, if you don't open up the pork shoulder, the money muscle (exterior muscle) will done before the interior of the shoulder and considering the mass of a shoulder, it is a considerable amount of meat that is less done. And since the butt is so fatty, it can better tolerate this type of trim.
I think it is a decent amount of work to do it so all of the different muscles finish out at the same time. I would think a home cook would cook the butt until the middle is done, which sacrifices the money muscle. Alternatively, you could trim off the money muscle when it is done and continue to cook (easier but messy).
Think of it as a spatchcock pork butt. Same principles apply.
I think it is a decent amount of work to do it so all of the different muscles finish out at the same time. I would think a home cook would cook the butt until the middle is done, which sacrifices the money muscle. Alternatively, you could trim off the money muscle when it is done and continue to cook (easier but messy).
Think of it as a spatchcock pork butt. Same principles apply.
I will definitely give that a try.Do it all the time. Except I don't tie it back together. I just cook it flat.
Especially easy if you start with a boneless pork shoulder (which is what they sell at Costco).
You can either butterfly the butt along the crease where the bone was. Or cut it into two separate pieces. More bark and cooks faster.
Chris shows you how:
Pork Butt Split In Half - The Virtual Weber Bullet
Pork butt split in half before cooking maximizes dark outside bark & shortens cooking time. This article shows how to do it for best results.