1t Pull Pork Questions

Unknown

Im doing my first pulled pork this weekend with expectations of eating about 5pm on Sunday. We are feeding about 10 adults and I have several questions.
1. Butcher says about 3 people per pound of boston butt so buy at least a 4 pounder. I am thinking 6-7 lbs to be safe, sound right? I am planning on cooking 2.5 hrs per pound.
2. Should I buy bone in or bone out? Is there much of a difference?
3. Boston butt or picnic cut? Again, any difference?
4. I was thinking of timing it so the butt is done Sat. evening and then just reheat at dinner time for convenience sake. Is reheated just as good if I do it in the microwave?
5. Cook it with the skin/fat cap up, correct? That way fat oozes into meat for flavor.
6. How important is an overnight marinade? I was thinking of marinading for a couple hours before the cook, is that OK? I thought yellow mustard and JJs rub.[p]Thanks again for all the help!! Much appreciated!
Becks

Grumpa

Becks in MN,[p]Finished product will equal about half of the raw weight. I always plan on about 1/3 - 1/2 lb cooked weight per person, that way there is plenty and left overs are never a problem :~)[p]Bone in butt would be my first choice. The shoulder will be a little "hammy" vs the butt.[p]Re-heating in the micrwave has always worked well for me. Be sure to cover so it won't dry out and do not over heat it. Just warm is fine.[p]Fat cap up is my choice and it does seem to add moisture to the meat and "baste" it as it cooks.[p]As far as marinade... I've never don that. I just apply a good rub of choice and smoke the rascal until it hits the 200 internal temp mark. It will be full of flavor and melt in your mouth.[p]Hope you have a wonderful gathering and best wishes.[p]Bob[p][p]

BostonBBQ

Becks in MN,
I did my first pulled pork a few days ago. I bought a 4 lb boneless butt from the grocery store. The peice I got did not have much fat on it. Only one side of the butt had fat on the top. When the butt was cooked (after about 8 hours at 225-250) there was a signifigant difference between the side with and without the fat on top. The side without was relitively dry, but still good. I was able to convert almost all of the meat into pulled pork, I fed 4 people at work two sandwidches each. Granted they were big sandwidches, but 4 lbs is not enough for 10 people. I would make even more than 6-7 lbs because if it turns out good, people will be eating a lot.

BlueSmoke

Bob,
Nothing for me to add but "I concur". When I reheat, I like to toss the pulled pork with a bit of sauce mixed with apple juice.[p]Ken

Grumpa

BlueSmoke,[p]Hey Ken... I never tried the apple juice, but it sounds good. I'll have to give that one a try for sure. Thanks for the tip from a pro :~)[p]Great Friday to ya![p][p]

yaB

Becks in MN,
I've read that the average yield from a butt is 60% of raw weight. Going with the 50% yield someone else recommended will probably ensure that you have enough for folks to take home with them if they want. [p]I did my first butt a couple of weeks ago and just finished off the pulled pork I vacuum packed and froze. I packed the pork up in 8-ounce portions simply because that's the way it happened to divide up evenly, and 8 oz. seemed like a reasonable middle-of-the-road amount. It turned out that half of one of these packs (4 oz.) makes a fairly generous sandwich, or two smaller wraps if combined with other wrap fillings. I think you could figure on 4 oz. of pulled pork per person per sandwich as a rule of thumb.[p]As for a marinade, I mixed some apple cider vinegar, applesauce, olive oil, a bit of salt, some mustard powder and mixed peppercorns in a blender until the dry the peppercorns were coarsely ground up, and soaked the butt in that overnight in a sealed plastic bag. I think it added some flavor throughout the meat, vs. the rub, which may not penetrate very deeply.[p]Good luck. I know you're going to enjoy the finished product.[p]Bob

yaB

Becks in MN,
I forgot to add a comment on the microwave question. If you're real familiar with the way your microwave behaves, you can go ahead and do it there, but I'd recommend a low power setting for a longer time (low and slow) to avoid burning the meat or toughening/drying it out. [p]A better way (imo) is to reheat in a double boiler, or in a boil-proof plastic bag like the various vacuum packing machines use. With the double boiler, the meat won't get above 212º, and you can stir in some sauce while it's heating. I've been adding some homemade chipotle-flavored cider vinegar and dijon mustard to the reheated pork, and it's been pretty darn good, if I say so myself...[p]Bob

BBQfan1

BlueSmoke,
hey Ken, the apple juice is dandy. As an option, let me add the new boxed versions of chicken stock. A nice flavor without altering that of the pulled pork, much like the apple juice. Just another option for those searching through their pantries (had to spell-check that baby before I sent it, believe you me! LOL)
Don't wanna be the next Gretl 'peeing down her BGE chimney'!!
Qfan