Preferences (pork butts)

Smokin' T

I've done pork butts with the fat cap up,and a drip pan with liquid. I was wondering if there are any advantages to cooking them with the fat cap down, and no liquid in the drip pan. Do you get a better bark with the fat cap doun?

Thanks for all opinions. This forum has been a great help to me.

Tom
Dunedin, Fl

gdenby

Just did my first fat cap down butt this weekend. The fat rendered out really well, the bark was as good as ever on the top. The fat on the bottom almost completely disappeared, and turned to something rather like a skin. Was a little harder to shred, but not much.

Maybe it was just the novelty, but I though the butt was better than usual.

I don't put liquid in the drip pan at first, because the drippings themselves are initially enough to keep from burning. This time, even with the higher render rate, after 8 hours, the pan was starting to dry and burn, so I added a bit of water. I don't care for the aroma of burning fat.

I did need to spray some apple juice on in the last 2 hours as the top was looking a little dry.

civil eggineer

Fat cap up may lead to washing your seasonings off the egg as it runs down. I go fat cap down and even trim it so I get a good bark all around the butt. There is no right or wrong way and trying every way is half the fun.

stike

i think "fat cap down" is a hold-over learned from doing them in other cookers, direct or semi-direct. the rationale i have always heard is that is buffers the meat from the heat, acts as a barrier.

not sure that's needed or required.

the suggestion to do it "fat-side-up" is often accompanied by the wishful thinking that fat will trickle down through the meat. not really possible. the fat rolls off.

in a bge, i'm not sure it makes any difference. i'm not saying that one way is equal to the other, just saying that i have done a few butts (never in competition), and done them fat up, down, and (with multiple butts) done it with the butts standing on their side.

you don't need liquid in the pan, but it adds thermal mass (like a platesetter or firebrick). it might (might) keep the cook a little too moist (inhibiting bark), but i don't know, because i don't use a drip pan.

when i did two butts this weekend, the amount of fat was an issue, and when it rendered, i got some sooty smoke from the fat. not good smoke, bitter, fatty smoke. little impact, but next time i'll have to drain the drip pan during the cook

stike

...funny about the burning fat. i have done a few butts, but this last one was the first time i reached pretty much the same conclusion. never really had a "drippings" issue before

LoveHandles

I do fat cap down and always use a drip pan with some kind of juice in it. Apple works well. I think the cap down keeps the meat from getting to done.

Pork Butt Mike

I think I can say I have done a few Butts in my time. This is what I do. Fat cap up, I like the idea of the fat melting down the sides of the butt and I still get some nice bark. Drip pan I use only to catch the fat so I don't get bad smoke and don't mess up my plate setter. I lined the pan with foil so it does not mess up the pan when the fat burns. This is my opinion and we have our own way of doing things. I cook a couple of butts each month for a law firm down town Tampa and they always come back for more. I guess I might be doing something right for a change. :laugh:

Gator Bait

I do mine the same way Mike, probably learned from reading your post here on the forum. I am guessing that cooking indirect that it doesn't make much difference. I think the butts I have done have had enough fat all through them that it didn't matter if the cap was up or down. I think what stike says about cap down for cooking with direct heat is interesting and makes sense.

Gator

TheDirtyBurger

I do it with the fat down and no liquid. down because the wife likes it like that, she says its less greasy. and I never used liquid in the egg because I was always told the egg didn't need it like a water smoker does

mojo

I find the whole "fat cap up, fat cap down" issue to be very interesting. Based on all I've read (not on my experience, which is admittedly limited), I'm not sure it makes a difference. I think it would be really telling if someone would cook 2 butts simultaneously, both equally rubbed/seasoned and both cooked to the same internal temperature. Then document photos of the bark, the meat, and the subjective impressions of the flavor. If I have the occasion to prepare double butts, I'll definitely give it a go.

tbonemac

I just did a 10lb butt, capp down, and some juice in a drip pan, just to keep the grease from burning, not for adding moisture. Had my own special rub that had brown and white sugar. Came out with a great bark, good smoke ring and from a 10 lb butt just a small handful or fat/colagen when pulling the pork. Some of the best meat we had eaten in a while. I think it goes with the other posts on here, just go with what you like and don't be afraid to experiment.

Misippi Egger

I have cooked with fat up in the past, under the pretense of the fat permeating the meat. But that really doesn't make sense. The last ones I cooked were fat cap down (from recommendations on here). Can't say that I could tell any difference.

Never use water in the drip pan and have not had issues with bad taste from the drippings - I do not put drip pan directly on platesetter - leave an air space.

I have always scored the fat cap at about one inch 'crosshatches' and rubbed the rub deep in the cuts down to the meat. I was taught that way by a competition-cooking friend (but not an Egger), so I have always done it. Not sure if it really matters, though. :huh:

I think butts are so forgiving that we get great results on our Eggs regardless of the subtle differences in techniques. I give credit to the BGE ! :woohoo: :woohoo:

Celtic Wolf

Technically you can do them either way; however, lets put some logic to it. Fat really does not allow the spices of your rubs to penetrate. If you put fat side up you are putting what spices you have to the heat. It gets burned off and washed away with the fat dripping from the cooking process. Furthermore you have all that fat flowing around the meat. As the meat cools off this solidifies into grease.

Rub up the meat put the fat to the heat (down). As that fat breaks down all it does is go into the drip pan. The spices on the meat stay on the meat. The fat give you that much more of a barrier between the heat and the meat.

Brisket or Pork.. Fat Down...

As for water or juice in a drip pan - it will most likely boil off long before meat is done. If you really want to prevent the grease from burning elevate the drip pan off the heat barrier.