Anyone ever cut their butts.....

hondabbq

In half? I have 4 butts I am cooking up tomorrow. I am a big fan of bark. As a lot of us are. I faintly remember a post but can't find it, about splitting pork butts to acquire more bark in the cook. Anyone done it? Pros (I think I already mentioned that) and cons. Do you split it lengthwise or width?

RRP

If they are already boneless then sure, why not! But if the bone is there how are you going to cut it. Unless removing the bone first and then you're back to square one!

hondabbq

I prefer to do boneless. I should have put that caveat in the post.

Ozzie_Isaac

Another benefit, depending on time is cook duration. Cook will only be as long as the largest contiguous piece. So if 1.5-2hrs per lb it is not total weight but weight of largest piece.

theyolksonyou

Man I clicked thinking is see some hilarious mishaps....

above are good points though.

Carolina Q

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Another benefit, depending on time is cook duration. Cook will only be as long as the largest contiguous piece. So if 1.5-2hrs per lb it is not total weight but weight of largest piece.

Not necessarily. I once bought two 5 lb butts and cut one in half as an experiment. Put all three on the same egg at the same time. The two small ones took just as long as the 5 pounder.

GrannyX4

I butterfly them in half lengthwise to make them thinner. Adds a LOT more bark, cooks faster and all adds more flavor. ;;)

Coastalcooker

They were on sale, about half the price at Publix. They were in a package of 2-total about 20 pounds. There are only two of us to eat. Each became a bone in and a boneless. The last one will become Carnitas tomorrow night.
Bob

Ozzie_Isaac

Carolina Q said:

Another benefit, depending on time is cook duration. Cook will only be as long as the largest contiguous piece. So if 1.5-2hrs per lb it is not total weight but weight of largest piece.

Not necessarily. I once bought two 5 lb butts and cut one in half as an experiment. Put all three on the same egg at the same time. The two small ones took just as long as the 5 pounder.

Thanks for sharing your experience.  That answers a suspicion I had.  To properly render the fat and connective tissue in the shoulder/butt it takes a minimum amount of time at temp.  I suspect that time is similar to the time it takes to properly smoke a 5lb shoulder.

If you cook any shoulders larger than 5lbs then you should be able to cut them into 5lb portions to reduce the time.  Cutting shoulders into smaller pieces then that removes the time benefit from the equation.

I have never done any shoulders smaller than 6lbs.  To me that seems more like a large pork steak at that point

Again, thanks for sharing your experience.  Now I no longer have to wonder about min size!

fishlessman

dont cut it in half, just splay it open with the bone cut side on top. the bone/inside has more nooks and crannies for rub, vinegar sauce etc, it will actually pool up with flavor

Carolina Q

Ozzie, keep in mind that I said I ONCE bought....... Butts often seem to have minds of their own. Might happen that way next time, but it might not. Was just a heads up.

NoJokeSmoke

I usually cut them in half for the same reason. More bark = more flavor.

shucker

I cut mine in half, sometimes thirds, depending on size.  I can get 2-3 cooks out of 1 butt if its just the 3 of us eating.