Trimming the Fat?

BlueHorseShoe · June 2008

I cooked two 7lb butts this weekend. They both had a large fat cap. The meat turned out very good except it was a little greasy. They cooked at 225 for 19 hrs, pulled at 192.

The greasiness made me wonder about trimming the fat cap. So the question is: To trim or not to trim?

BENTE · June 2008

i usually trim them a bit but not completely

i also go fat cap down

BlueHorseShoe · June 2008

I think my butcher usually trims the cap. I bought these at Publix and had to request a whole shoulder cut into to two. The standard offering is 3.5 to 4 lb butts. It doesn't look like they trimmed any. I also cook fat cap down.

Bacchus · June 2008

OT: Bente, is the upper grid resting directly on the two lower level butts in your pic?

Thanks! RB

fishlessman · June 2008

i like alot of bark in the pull, the butts i get have very little fat on them. you can practically just cut it all off imho

BENTE · June 2008

yes it is but since i got my rig i have yet to do a big butt cooking... so the next time i will take a new picture... i do not think that it effected the final product much

fishlessman · June 2008

that explains even more, when they cut it you get 1 butt and one picnic, the picnic end is loaded with fat but the meat has more flavor

Bacchus · June 2008

Good Idea Bente. I am thinking of doing 4 butts Friday. I have a woo2, but not sure if it is tall enough for two levels of butt.

RRP · June 2008

Count me in the "trim the fat cap" crowd. After all all it does is "melt" and run into the drip pan. Besides like fishlessman says a trimmed butt allows more bark. As for your statement about the pulled pork tasting greasy I'd say that was due to the internal fat content in the butt and not the external fat cap.

BlueHorseShoe · June 2008

I thought the same thing. But, if you had thick fat cap could that hold in some of the fat that otherwise would have dripped out?

BENTE · June 2008

Celtic wolf got 6 in a large if i remember correctly.. the rack i used was just my expandable grate i have done it several times with good results

just make sure you use a drip pan

i did not on one of those cooks and had a pretty good grerase fire :pinch:

Jeffersonian · June 2008

I was disappointed this weekend when I got the last four butts at my Sam's and they were just 6 pounds each or so...I wanted some big ol' butts to fill up my new adjustable rig! :woohoo:

RRP · June 2008

Your thought makes sense especially if you had placed the butts so the fat cap was on the bottom. Of course there are groups here who will argue whether the fat cap goes on top or the bottom!

Mahi-Mahi · June 2008

It is personal choice. Some people feel if you trim the meat more of the rub will flavor the meat. I noticed that Dr BQQ does not in his book but other books state the oppsite.

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Trimming the Fat?

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