Smoke pork butt in smaller sizes?

brucec

Fire Starter

Original poster

Jul 6, 2012

39

11

KS

• Feb 7, 2013

• #1

Seeing some posts lately made me wonder about whether it's better to cut up larger pork butts - like the 10 pounder I did for the SB - into smaller butts - maybe 5 lbs, or less?  Or is it better to smoke the larger butt?  Any opinions?

 

mike johnson

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Mar 9, 2012

1,051

59

Lacey, WA.

• Feb 7, 2013

• #2

IMO bigger is better. It may take a bit longer but if  you  cut down the middle of your butt, your exposing 33% more meat wich means the meat will dry out that much more.

 

brucec

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 6, 2012

39

11

KS

• Feb 7, 2013

• #3

I wondered about that - makes sense.  Thanks for the reply!

 

hdsmoke

Smoking Fanatic

Aug 20, 2009

300

10

Ohio

• Feb 8, 2013

• #4

I do not agree with the above.  If i get a large butt and i dont have the time then i cut them in half.  I started doing this last summer when i started getting 12 pounders on a pretty regular occasion from my butcher.  Cutting them in half doesnt dry them out more.  You still have the fat cap on both and all the marbling...the thing you do gain is more surface area for bark.  Which in my book is a good thing! 

I have done this numerous times now and i have NEVER had a problem with dry meat.  Just my .02 

 

mdboatbum

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Apr 22, 2011

4,094

431

Washington, DC

• Feb 8, 2013

• #5

I think after 8+ hours in the smoker, even at low temps, any residual "moisture" that can have cooked out will have. The "moisture" in the final product comes primarily from internal fat and the breakdown of connective tissue into gelatin. Cutting into smaller pieces shouldn't affect this, but it will shorten the total cook time. As a side bonus, it will exponentially increase the surface area of the meat, allowing for more bark and smoke penetration.

**Edit, I should have read all the replies more carefully. HDsmoke said it all before I did.

 

Last edited: Feb 8, 2013