Butt Questions | Fogo | ET-733

horoegg · February 2017

Came home tonight to an enourmous box sitting in front of my garage door and was happy to see both my first ever bag of Fogo and my brand new ET-733 in there. So excited to try out the new lump and to not have to wake up in the middle of the night to check on my cooks anymore!

Now for the Butt questions! So I decided I wanted to cook up a butt for the super bowl and have been searching around stores to find one. First place I went only had shoulders so I passed. Second place only had small chunks of boneless butt so passed on that too. 3rd place I went had bone-in butts, but they were 3.99/lb!!! PASS! Lastly I decided to head to Costco to try to find a deal. Found packs of two butts for 1.89/lb, jackpot!!! Picked those up so stoked on the deal I just got but when I got home I realized they were boneless, bummer...So my two questions are:

1. Is there a huge difference between boneless and bone-in? Will I be disappointed if I keep these?
2. Regardless of bone-in or not, should I tie the butt before putting it on the egg?

Thanks for the help!

Sea2Ski · February 2017

I have never noticed a difference.

As for tying it - it depends on if you can get it to stay together without twine. If so - no need. If it keeps wanting to spread out, you can tie a loop or two around it to keep it together.

Skrullb · February 2017

Don't shy away from shoulders, either. They are about the same as a butt.

Foghorn · February 2017

Sea2Ski said:

I have never noticed a difference.

As for tying it - it depends on if you can get it to stay together without twine. If so - no need. If it keeps wanting to spread out, you can tie a loop or two around it to keep it together.

This. Costco butts are my favorite. It is cool to know that it is done when you can pull out the bone, but the Costco boneless butts seem to turn out better for me.

@Skrullb, it's my impression that some people even use the term "butt" for a shoulder. When it's time to pull the bone out of some "butts", it turns out to be the scapula (shoulder blade). Does a true bone-in butt have pelvic girdle bone (iliac wing?) in it?

Skrullb · February 2017

I'm not sure on all of the specifics to be honest. I do know that every "butt" I've done has had the smaller, flat bone that pulls out. The "shoulders" I have done have a bone that runs all the way through it. From my experience, they cook the same and pull the same. I wouldn't shy away from cooking a shoulder if you want pulled pork, they come out the same.

Elijah · February 2017

A pork shoulder is a butt. My local meat dept marks them as a shoulder as they get larger. It's the same cut either way.

I generally buy bone in, but just because the price is better per pound even after you factor in the weight of the bone (I've weighed it pre cook). I can't say for you, but I'd bet it's the same. As far as taste goes, I don't think the bone is big enough to make a difference.

bhedges1987 · February 2017

No difference IMO

bhedges1987 · February 2017

Easier to inject a boneless one though

horoegg · February 2017

Elijah said:

A pork shoulder is a butt. My local meat dept marks them as a shoulder as they get larger. It's the same cut either way.

I generally buy bone in, but just because the price is better per pound even after you factor in the weight of the bone (I've weighed it pre cook). I can't say for you, but I'd bet it's the same. As far as taste goes, I don't think the bone is big enough to make a difference.

The pork shoulder that I mentioned above was a picnic shoulder which had skin on it and it got skinny at one end where it meets the leg. The bone through it also looked much bigger. It seemed a lot different than than the shoulder butts I'm used to seeing/cooking so I didn't buy it.

RedSkip · February 2017

No real difference. Picnic tends to be a little leaner IMO, but still a nice cook. Treat it like a Boston butt, wrap it around 150-160 until it finishes around 200 +/- 5 degrees.

You could cut the skin off and make crackling (pork rinds) or toss in the trash if you'd like. Or keep it on and cook it.

Check out this video...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QWPpfjAuii8

GoooDawgs · February 2017

I too prefer the costco butts even though they are boneless. I enjoy the prep work with a bone-in butt as it's easier to trim, rub and organize on the egg, but the meat has not turned out as good.

With Costco butts I either tie or sometimes just stick a couple wooden skewers through them to hold them together.

Good luck!

Hntnhrd · February 2017

Our local albertsons has pork picnincs on sale for .97 a pound. But I have 4 Boston Butts in the freezer now that I paid .99 each for so no more space ( they had a computer glitch was supposed to .99 a pound I asked after it rang up and cashier didn't care!!)
what was told was the shoulder roast is called a " butt" not the rear quarter , the rear leg is your ham. Fwiw. All pork is good IMO

horoegg · February 2017

Rinsed, dried, trimmed, tied, and ready for an overnight dry brine! Can't wait for tomorrow night!

BikerBob · February 2017

Picnic is the front leg. Similar to butt. I think more taste.

Phatchris · February 2017

I'm doing a boneless tomorrow as well, haven't yet decided on traditional or carnitas style tacos...

jtcBoynton · February 2017

Pork butt = Boston butt = pork shoulder = pork collar = kata

Whole shoulder is the above still attached to the picnic.

Butt Questions | Fogo | ET-733

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