How do you prep your pork??

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Do you trim your pork butts?

  • I trim

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  • I DONT trim

    Votes: 0 0.0%

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graphicsman

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 25, 2011
160
10
Nashville, TN
Ive been searching these questions for awhile so i thought i would post a thread on what you guys do.  I usually do, like some, and buy my Pork that is cryo packed with two butts from Costco or Sam's.  BUT when you prep do you trim the fat or rub the pork with the fat on it??  I usually trim fat while pulling the pork after it is done smoking.  BUT Ive heard like many that like doing a brisket it needs to be trimmed to allow the rub to stick (Ive never done a brisket though, still doing my homework).  However, the use of a mustard or similar-of can be used to help the rub stick better.   
 
I trim most of the fat off, but keep it.

I rub the butt & put rub on the fat too.

Then put the butt on the bottom rack & put all the fat on a rack above it so it drips on the butt & keeps it moist.
 
It has to be pretty fatty for me to bother. If needed I will trim to 1/4 inch and cross-hatch score the remainder. I have found butts to be moist enough to hold the rub but oil or mustard will do the job if you need them...JJ
 
When comes to pork butts and shoulders I will take tenderness over seasoning any day of the week and as we all know fat=tenderness. So I leave it on. I rub all over, no mustard, and then cook fat cap up, then "de-fat" during the pulling process.
 
On my traditional PP
  • I  remove all external fat including the false cap on Butts, sometimes I leave the latter on. I do this to get more surface area for the bark formation.
  • Give it a good rub down, no mustard,.
  • Tuck the meat under itself.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Fire up smoker.
  • Unwrap and place on the grate tucking the meat under itself.
  • place drip pan under butt
  • SMOKE AT 225° - 235° internal 205°
  • remove drippings and refrigerate
  • Remove butt, wrap in foil, towels and rest in cooler 2 hours
  • remove from cooler, tent foil, rest up to an hour
  • defat drippings
  • pull pork (shred pork)
  • add drippings to Pulled Pork (shredded pork)
On my Philly style or Italian Porchetta PP
  • I  remove all external fat only.
  • Apply appropriate rub inside and outside no mustard
  • Tuck the meat under itself.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Fire up smoker.
  • Unwrap and place on the grate tucking the meat under itself.
  • place drip pan under butt
  • SMOKE AT 225° - 235° internal 165°
  • Foil and continue to smoke til internal 205°
  • remove drippings and refrigerate
  • Remove butt, wrap in towels and rest in cooler 2 hours
  • remove from cooler, tent foil, rest up to an hour
  • defat drippings
  • make finishing sauce using drippings
  • pull pork (shred pork)
  • add finishing sauce to Pulled Pork (shredded pork)
The fat can be used for other things.

Some will use leave the fat in place as a way to protect the meat from direct heat by placing fat side down.

I guess it depends on what you are smoking it on and what results you are trying to achieve.
 
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I  remove all external fat including the false cap on Butts, sometimes I leave the latter on.

Give it a good rub down, tuck the meat under itself and place on the grate.

I do this to get more surface area for the bark formation.

The fat can be used for other things.

Some will use leave the fat in place as a way to protect the meat from direct heat by placing fat side down.

I guess it depends on what you are smoking it on and what results you are trying to achieve.


Pretty much what I do too. The premise on Fat Cap "Up", was that as it cooked, the fat would render down into the meat, keeping it moist. Most butts have more than enough fat in them, to were they really don't need the fat cap to begin with. I trim 80% of mine off.
 
I'm with SQWIB and Flash on this. More than enough fat in butts and I have never had a butt that came out dry and I don't foil. I tried the mustard rub once but that just seemed like a waste of good mustard. I just apply the rub and wrap in plastic wrap or use some olive oil, rub and wrap. When I take it out of the wrap I apply more of the rub and then let it sit while the smoker gets to temp.
 
I have done both, depends on the butt.  I will trim down to 1/4 inch or so if there is and excessive amount.  Usually try to separate as much of it out as i can when I pull it.
 
Riddle me this .Will a fat cap call for a longer time cooking cause of weight or stall from fat rendering down?
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So if you took 2 butts on with a cap one with out but the same weight on average which one cooked quicker and why?
 
Riddle me this .Will a fat cap call for a longer time cooking cause of weight or stall from fat rendering down?
33.gif
So if you took 2 butts on with a cap one with out but the same weight on average which one cooked quicker and why?
 
Interesting questions here.

1.  Next time you make sausage, separate the fat from the lean and grind them separately (not recommended except for the sake of experimenting).  After grinding, fill a cup with fat and another cup with lean.  Weigh both cups.  What effect overall does a little fat weight have in comparison in non sausage making terms? Meaning in the overall weight of the item?

2.  Take two steaks of the same weight and thickness.  One well marbelled and one very lean.  Throw them on a grill with even temps.  Which if either cooks faster?

3.  The fat cap up or down question has never been answered to my satisfaction in a smoking application.  Does it really matter?

4.  Scoring the fat cap or removing portions or all of it might allow seasonings to better penetrate, but how does it affect how a well marbelled cut like a butt will cook up moistness wise?  Assuming that cook time is not an issue. Or even being able to quantify the fat cap issue in terms of cook time.

It would be interesting to see JJ weigh in on these?

Good luck and good smoking.
 
Interesting questions here.

 1.  Next time you make sausage, separate the fat from the lean and grind them separately (not recommended except for the sake of experimenting).  After grinding, fill a cup with fat and another cup with lean.  Weigh both cups.  What effect overall does a little fat weight have in comparison in non sausage making terms? Meaning in the overall weight of the item? Strictly regarding subcutaneous fat on pork...there just is not that much there. 40 years ago Hams and Picnics would have 1 1/2+ inches of fat arond the muscle. The old guys, Dad/Uncles, would fight if one was taking all the fatty cuts. Over the last 25 years, "The Other White Meat" campaign, instituted by the Pork Producers, has created such lean Pork that 1/2 inch of fat is becoming rare in Supermarkets.

2.  Take two steaks of the same weight and thickness.  One well marbelled and one very lean.  Throw them on a grill with even temps.  Which if either cooks faster? Fat is a great insulator and keeps the heat from reaching the protein in the muscle fibers too quickly allowing for Slower cooking. A 2 inch thick Bison Steak will be well done, before 2 inches of A5 Kobe even warms up.

3.  The fat cap up or down question has never been answered to my satisfaction in a smoking application.  Does it really matter? The so called Basting effect of cooking meat Fat side up, has a much greater impact on the meat at the higher temperatures experienced during Roasting. However there still is some benefit at Smoking temperatures. For instance, while the insulating properties of the fat cap does protect the upper surface of the meat from drying out and allows the slow breakdown of Collagen, the greater affect is the enhancement of the Maillard Reaction. Although a thick solid layer of fat insulates, the Thin liquid fat dripping down the meat conducts the heat to the surface more effectively than the hot Air in the oven or Smoker. This speeds the browning that occurs and enhances the flavor. 

4.  Scoring the fat cap or removing portions or all of it might allow seasonings to better penetrate, but how does it affect how a well marbelled cut like a butt will cook up moistness wise?  Assuming that cook time is not an issue. Or even being able to quantify the fat cap issue in terms of cook time. The Fat melting from the Cap does not really Penetrate the meat. So Marbling will have the greatest impact on the moistness and flavor of the meat. In addition the Low and Slow cooking allows the increased conversion of Collagen and futher enhances moisture. For the low temp cooking of Lean pork cuts like Loin, the most effective use of the Fat Cap would be to Remove it, Cut the Fat into Strips and use Larding Needles to insert the Fat into the lean Muscle.

It would be interesting to see JJ weigh in on these?  I hope I was successful at providing some insight...JJ

Good luck and good smoking.
 
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Just FYI the butts at Costco are boneless, so once you get your rub on them use some kitchen twine to tie them up into a uniform bundle. Otherwise the uneaven thicknesses from when they cut the bone out will make the butt cook unevenly.
 
So your saying a fat cap will make a butt cook quicker cause of  Maillard Reaction.Is that only if you put the fatcap on top.
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Hey Michael, The Maillard Reaction is just a surface thing. With the fat cap on top the dripping fat will give somewhat better browning, nice Bark and good flavor as it drips down. Think about a Rotisserie Chicken turning and the melting fat constantly spreading over the outside, Nice even Brown Skin. Yes the more equal heat distribution is there too, but they work together for a great result.

Having the Fat cap on slows the cooking somewhat because it takes time for the heat to penetrate. It may be just the Butts that are available in my area, but I just have not had many that had much fat. By scoreing what is there I get the best of both worlds, Rub and Smoke penetration AND rendering Fat enhanceing Color and Flavor of the rest of the meat...JJ
 
Just FYI the butts at Costco are boneless, so once you get your rub on them use some kitchen twine to tie them up into a uniform bundle. Otherwise the uneaven thicknesses from when they cut the bone out will make the butt cook unevenly.


That's what I had always believed, however recently I have been tucking the meat under itself and get the same results.
 
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