Can I split a pork butt in half and cut down on smoking time?

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pool889

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 29, 2012
10
10
OK. So here is my question. I have about a 10# pork butt, its cold outside and I'm needing it for dinner tomorrow night. Can I take my 10# butt and cut it in half, smoke both halves and still have them come out the same? I could do it in 1 but by the 2 hr per pound rule would have me up all night to get it going and making sure its to temp, still producing smoke ect. I have a 30" MES. I've smoked a few butts in the past but never cooked them long enough, pulled at like 170 so I already know that i need to go for about 195 and rest for an hour to be able to pull. I just wanted to know if splitting the 1 large one into two would cause any issues? Thanks for your input and all your posts, lots of help.
 
Also, any suggestions on the best wood chips to use? I was thinking about a combo of hickory and apple?
 
Cutting it in half will cut your smoke time almost in half. As for which wood it's a matter of personal taste personally I find apple to light a flavor for a butt of course that may just be me
 
So cutting it in half won't have any adverse effect to the tenderness or anything? I didn't see why no since it's like 29* here right now I wasn't looking forward to being outside more than needed.
 
By the way, just to update in case anybody else looks at this, worked great. Smoking time cut way down with no difference in finished product. I also did the exact same thing the next week for the super bowl and everybody loved it.
 
Glad to "hear" it pool889 but,

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Thanks for this post, I have a seven pound butt ready for tomorrow but there are only two of us to feed! I'm going to cut it in half and freeze the rest for later. I'd rather hAve fresh off the smoker meat than reheated previously frozen smoked meat!
 
Thanks for this post, I have a seven pound butt ready for tomorrow but there are only two of us to feed! I'm going to cut it in half and freeze the rest for later. I'd rather hAve fresh off the smoker meat than reheated previously frozen smoked meat!
Actually we always smoke extra so we can put it into the freezer in meal size packs it reheats very well. When you don't have time to do a smoke it's nice to be able to just pull some out of the freezer
 
Most butts in my area come in around 5 LBS.  With a 10 LB butt you either gotta big hog?  Or you might have a lot more of the shoulder cut in than us usually sold as a "butt" or pork shoulder blade roast.

You will have no problem cutting that 10 pounder in half.  Actually it will probably be beneficial for your beer budget, and you will feel better the next morning.

Good luck and good smoking.
 
 
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If that is a blade roast with some of the picnic or arm roast attached?  The bone should be fairly easy to remove.

Good luck and be sure to post up pics for those who demand it? 
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Good luck and good smoking.
 










Here are the pics of my split pork butt, some crab and cream cheese stuffed abt's and some veggies I did for the superbowl.
 
How does it matter if there is the shoulder bone in? I was planning on cutting my 8 lbs butts in half to reduce the babysitting time, and hang with my two boys more.

Will I need to remove the bone?

Those are really great pics, by the way!

thanks!!  
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Bone in makes it more difficult to cut in half.   Boneless you just whack it in half.   Bone in you have to cut the bone out and if you're not experienced at it, you'll end up with a hacked up piece of meat. 
 
I hacked away and the realization I am neither a surgeon or a butcher became very apparent.
They could call me The Butcher but not a butcher! :)
 
That was bone in that I did. Unless the bone goes all the way through you're good. May have one side larger like I did, took about an extra 40 mins to hit 200.
 
Every time I have a question I find a great conversation has already happened. I am going to try this tomorrow morning early.

Thanks everyone. I will do my best to post pictures.
 
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