Slicing a Butt ?


 
J

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
We all talk about pulling a butt, but is there a faction that slices? I would expect you would cook to a more firm finish for ease of cutting.
I'm asking because I think a few 1/2 inch slices would look great plated with sauce and sides.
 
James I'm of a strong opinion that pulled is the optimal presentation for a pork butt/shouder.

I feel like if you want plated slices you should start with pork steaks cut from the butt and then you'll get the good malliard reaction all over the steak, instead of a small border of bark like you would get on a sliced butt.

With that said, I know there are many people both on this board and in the competition world who present butts sliced. I'm not sure that anybody slices them as thick as a half inch, though - if you take a butt only to 170 for slicing it will still have some fat and connective tissue that hasn't rendered out yet, which might make it tough unless sliced very thin.
 
Thanks Dave. After some thought, I agree that full slices may not be the most attractive for plating. I have heard about comp teams slicing what I would call the "tenderloin" of the butt for presentation surrounded by pulled pieces and burnt ends. I'm assuming this would have the appearance of a tenderloin medallion with the texture of a butt.
 
You're thinking of the "money muscle" which is on the outer edge of the butt, opposite the bone (or where the bone would've been if it was boneless).

I've been playing around with charcuterie recently and exploring the musculature of the butt (heh). While making sausages last night I was able to isolate the money muscle while leaving it attached to the butt before grinding it all up. This is a technique I think I'm taking to competition with me in a couple weeks, in theory doing it this way will allow us to present a money muscle with bark on 3/4 sides instead of just 1/4 sides.

You're right, a sliced money muscle will have the appearance of a sliced tenderloin and the succulence of the rest of the butt, except it is the most tender part of the butt. Slicing a money muscle without having it fall apart takes 1. perfect cooking
2. ability to locate and isolate the money muscle from the rest of the small muscles in that area (there's some fat seams you can follow) and
3. a sharp arse knife.

But slicing a money muscle and "sliced pork" like I think you were asking about are two different things. You can slice a money muscle out of a butt that's been taken to pulling temperatures, but if you try to take full slices they will fall apart.
 
I have family members who like it pulled and others who like it sliced. I pull or chop the pork on the money maker end and slice the meat on the blade end. I eat both.
 
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