Trimming a pork butt


 
J

JSMcdowell

TVWBB All-Star
I have never really trimmed anything off a pork butt. When I first started doing them I did a little bit, but now it just seems like a waste of time. It will cook off or be pulled out later. I have cooked hundreds of lbs of butts this way and it works for me.

However, if I did want more bark does anyone have negative experience with trimming off the fat cap to expose more meat ?

Maybe the cook time would be slightly less? I know it's not going to make a difference in the moisture of the meat, except for when pulling there will be less fat to deal with.

Thanks for any insight.
 
When I was new to smoking, I laboriously trimmed the fat cap and used rub on every exposed surface.

A quarter-ton o butt later, I can't be bothered anymore. Especially when I'm doing 8-10 butts a smoke. I find it useful to keep the caps turned out at the edges of the meat-piles where the direct heat might dry/harden the meat.

Missing rub on one side doesn't make much difference to me.
 
Rich, that is how I have felt. I rarely cook under 40# (doing 80 tomorrow ), so its a lot of work. I guess my question should have been is the additional bark worth the effort.

Thank you.
 
NOOOO don't trim off the fat cap on a pork butt. It's not a true fat cap. There's a half inch section of meat underneath that false cap, and on top of the real fat cap, that is in the top 3 locations on the butt for tender, succulent pulled pork (money muscle, horn meat, false cap meat in no particular order).

If you want more bark you can butterfly open the butt or cut it into smaller pieces which will create more surface area.
 
I've always trimmed the fat, but now I trim more aggressively than I used to. I find that the pulling goes much easier and quicker, with much less crap needing removal. I think cutting off the fat cap (and other areas that would be removed later during pulling) before the cook means more bark in the final product, and less work when everyone is getting hungry.
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Lately I've started trimming the cap down to a thickness where it'll get nice and crisp. Used to be, most of it would be left on the grate, but not anymore.
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I trim. I think it is easier to get rid of fat that is solid rather than in the pulling process or letting it melt into the drip pan and have to deal with it. One point raised was that the fat can keep the meat from drying out when you have it too close to the edge. That's a good idea and I may leave a little of the fat cap on next time. When I cook 2 butts, I just use the top grate and some times, you have to turn them on their side to get them to fit.
 
I trim the entire fat cap off a butt figuring there's enough marbling for plenty of flavor, but then again I do one 6 to 8 lb butt on occasion. I'm a backyard BBQ guy and imagine there would be a completely different frame of mind if I cooked at a large volume.
 
I have always trimmed the majority of the fat cap off. I will leave a skim coat on. I remember the first time I just threw the rub on the butt and onto the smoker. When I removed the butts from the cooker the fat caps parts along with the yummy bark. From then on I trim, I dont like doing it but I know I will have plenty of yummy bark and the pulling process is pretty simple. So yes I trim the butts.
 
I always trim, but (butt
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) I'm usually doing 4 or less at a time every couple of months.

If I was doing it for a living and cooking tons of the stuff, I probably wouldn't take the time.
 
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