Trying to decide...

[Retired Spook]

Should I smoke/roast a pork belly, or smoke/roast a pork shoulder...

I do not want to make pulled pork - I've just never been a fan of the stuff. I know people love it but it doesn't do a thing for me, and besides, I have to avoid the sugary barbecue sauces (Dr. orders) that people seem to drown it in. I want something more roasted than smoked, but with a nice smoke flavor. A little brown sugar in the rub I can get away with. Of course I will have to rely on kiln dried HEB or Home Depot hickory.

I am stuck in a whirlwind!

 

[jcam222]

Should I smoke/roast a pork belly, or smoke/roast a pork shoulder...

I do not want to make pulled pork - I've just never been a fan of the stuff. I know people love it but it doesn't do a thing for me, and besides, I have to avoid the sugary barbecue sauces (Dr. orders) that people seem to drown it in. I want something more roasted than smoked, but with a nice smoke flavor. A little brown sugar in the rub I can get away with. Of course I will have to rely on kiln dried HEB or Home Depot hickory.

I am stuck in a whirlwind!

Maybe smoke the belly , slice when tender and crisp the slices on grill or air fryer? For the butt perhaps brine it in Pops brine to do some buckboard bacon? For BBQ sauces I highly recommend you check out the G Hughes sugar free BBQ sauces. It’s all I use and guests never know the difference. For your rubs you can replace the brown sugar with either Brown Swerve or Golden Lakanto. The Swerve is closest. None of these will impact your blood sugar negatively. This link is maybe one of my favorite pork belly uses ever https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/jamaican-feast-2022.316971/

 

[gmc2003]

I would turn the belly into bacon and the shoulder into meat for sammies like a Cuban.

Chris

Edit: or what Jeff suggested.

 

[chopsaw]

I love roast pork shoulder . Grew up on it because it was cheap . Makes a good knife and fork meal , and the leftovers are great for sandwiches .

 

[Retired Spook]

HEB used to sell something called Pork Belly Strips - I think it was trimmings from when they would square-up pork bellies. The stopped carrying them because customers complained that they were too fatty...

They were low cost and I used to coat them with SPOG and brown sugar and the hot smoke them until crispy and MAN were they good.

 

[Retired Spook]

Maybe smoke the belly , slice when tender and crisp the slices on grill or air fryer? For the butt perhaps brine it in Pops brine to do some buckboard bacon? For BBQ sauces I highly recommend you check out the G Hughes sugar free BBQ sauces. It’s all I use and guests never know the difference. For your rubs you can replace the brown sugar with either Brown Swerve or Golden Lakanto. The Swerve is closest. None of these will impact your blood sugar negatively. This link is maybe one of my favorite pork belly uses ever https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/jamaican-feast-2022.316971/

Link looks amazing but I live alone and tend to keep my cooks simpler - and I am always afraid to try any of these new-fangled substitutes because almost invariably a few years later some bad news come out about them - I would rather just do with a small amount of organic brown sugar, or none.

 

[chopsaw]

Did this not to long ago . Lean end of a pork loin so I pulled it off around 140 ish . Pork shoulder has better flavor , but this was really good on the spinner .

Roast Pork sandwich

Bought a whole loin the other day , because the price was good . Cut it into 4 sections about 3 lbs. each . Put one in Pop's brine with maple extract . Two sections to be determind , and used one for a " Philly style " pork sandwich . Made an injection of unsalted Veg stock , Minor's garlic...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[Retired Spook]

I love roast pork shoulder . Grew up on it because it was cheap . Makes a good knife and fork meal , and the leftovers are great for sandwiches .

You are talking my language.

 

[chopsaw]

You are talking my language

I love the stuff . The forgotten sandwich . Lol .

 

[Retired Spook]

Did this not to long ago . Lean end of a pork loin so I pulled it off around 140 ish . Pork shoulder has better flavor , but this was really good on the spinner .

Roast Pork sandwich

Bought a whole loin the other day , because the price was good . Cut it into 4 sections about 3 lbs. each . Put one in Pop's brine with maple extract . Two sections to be determind , and used one for a " Philly style " pork sandwich . Made an injection of unsalted Veg stock , Minor's garlic...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

DAMN that looks good! Too bad I am off the bread too...

Just 2-weeks ago I bought my first pork loin. Cut it into nice 1-1/2" chops and a roast that was about 10" long... Cooked one of those cops on the grill low and slow to perfect medium (slight blush of pink in the middle) and... it was WAY too lean for me, and my digestive system had a terrible time processing it. Just too dense...

I gave all the chops and roast to a neighbor - he mentioned butterflying the chops, hammering them, and breading and frying them. He was excited...

 

[Retired Spook]

Roast pork shoulder it is. Thanks chopsaw !

I am going to give it a SPOG and organic brown sugar rub and roast it in my smoker at 300 to 325 degrees.

 

[chopsaw]

I gave all the chops and roast to a neighbor - he mentioned butterflying the chops, hammering them, and breading and frying them. He was excited...

Now that's a great idea !

Schnitzel ( Double cut loin chops )

@bill ace 350 inspired me when I saw his German themed pork plate the other day . Still has my mouth watering . I had a whole boneless pork loin that I needed to do something with . I cut a 3 pound hunk out and got it cured up to go into a Umai bag in a couple weeks . Then double cut some chops...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[clifish]

Maybe smoke the belly , slice when tender and crisp the slices on grill or air fryer? For the butt perhaps brine it in Pops brine to do some buckboard bacon? For BBQ sauces I highly recommend you check out the G Hughes sugar free BBQ sauces. It’s all I use and guests never know the difference. For your rubs you can replace the brown sugar with either Brown Swerve or Golden Lakanto. The Swerve is closest. None of these will impact your blood sugar negatively. This link is maybe one of my favorite pork belly uses ever https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/jamaican-feast-2022.316971/

I like the G Hughes stuff as well.

 

[Retired Spook]

Now that's a great idea !

Schnitzel ( Double cut loin chops )

@bill ace 350 inspired me when I saw his German themed pork plate the other day . Still has my mouth watering . I had a whole boneless pork loin that I needed to do something with . I cut a 3 pound hunk out and got it cured up to go into a Umai bag in a couple weeks . Then double cut some chops...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

The breading would put me in a coma!

That pork loin is just too dry for me - even slightly pink.

 

[clifish]

The breading would put me in a coma!

That pork loin is just too dry for me - even slightly pink.

I use ground up pork rinds as a breading, surprisingly low in carbs.

 

[Retired Spook]

I use ground up pork rinds as a breading, surprisingly low in carbs.

Interesting...

 

[zwiller]

I do not want to make pulled pork - I've just never been a fan of the stuff. I know people love it but it doesn't do a thing for me, and besides, I have to avoid the sugary barbecue sauces (Dr. orders) that people seem to drown it in.

Feel sorry for you. Sounds to me you've never had GOOD PP. Good PP is some of the best smoked fare you can have. So good it needs no sauce, heck I rarely even use a bun. I use this a basis but also add STPP. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hog-injection-365433

I LOVE pork loin. The key is brining. Ran chopsaw pork roast (CSS dry brine) a number of times but SV. GOOD STUFF. Makes wicked good pork shops like you get at high end steak joints but can also slice it thin and do the pork sandwiches too. Reminds me I got a few pounds in the freezer...

 

[Retired Spook]

Feel sorry for you. Sounds to me you've never had GOOD PP. Good PP is some of the best smoked fare you can have. So good it needs no sauce, heck I rarely even use a bun. I use this a basis but also add STPP. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hog-injection-365433

I LOVE pork loin. The key is brining. Ran chopsaw pork roast (CSS dry brine) a number of times but SV. GOOD STUFF. Makes wicked good pork shops like you get at high end steak joints but can also slice it thin and do the pork sandwiches too. Reminds me I got a few pounds in the freezer...

View attachment 657678

No need to feel sorry for me - I just do not like the stuff.

 

[tallbm]

Should I smoke/roast a pork belly, or smoke/roast a pork shoulder...

I do not want to make pulled pork - I've just never been a fan of the stuff. I know people love it but it doesn't do a thing for me, and besides, I have to avoid the sugary barbecue sauces (Dr. orders) that people seem to drown it in. I want something more roasted than smoked, but with a nice smoke flavor. A little brown sugar in the rub I can get away with. Of course I will have to rely on kiln dried HEB or Home Depot hickory.

I am stuck in a whirlwind!

Personally I would go with pork butt, BUT, done a different way.

I'm talking about "Boneless Ribs" via the pork butt!



You can read up on all the details in this post:

"Bonless Pork Ribs" Attempt, Success!!! - Q-View Inside

When I smoke pork ribs for myself I like to pull all the bones out while the meat is still hot enough. It's a me things where I like to fork and knife most of my food hahahahaha. I had a small pork but (6.5) pounds that I needed to cook so I decided to experiment. I deboned the pork butt and...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

In short, I just debone a pork butt, Then roll/butterfly it out until it's about flat, and cut 3 flat "slabs" or so.

I then smoke those flat slabs like ribs and honestly, they come out better tasting than ribs to me!

I don't add any sugar of any kind, just Salt, Pepper, Onion, Garlic, and Paprika.

I also don't mop/sauce the ribs at all.

At the table BBQ sauce gets added by anyone to the meat they put on their plate should they want some sweet flavor or whatever sauce flavor they want to add.

This is simple and comes out amazing. I recommend this as an option based on what you have posted.

Why this over pork belly?
I find I like the pork belly to geat a little seared or a little crispy which only happens with high enough heat. My smoker doesn't run that hot so I would rather grill or oven roast pork belly vs doing these "boneless ribs".

I hope this info helps :)

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I use ground up pork rinds as a breading, surprisingly low in carbs.

Now that's a darn good idea!