Boston butt up or down

[Northener]

I've seen it mentioned putting fat cap up and down while smoking. What does everyone do?
Doing one for the holidays  I've patted dry  rubbed with mustard  rubbed in rub, resting in fridge for 12 hrs prior. Thinking about injecting with mixture of apple juice and brown sugar mix just for good measure prior to popping into smoker tonight at midnight.

 

[SuperDave]

Jeff,
Butts have a lot of fat marbling so it is a lot less technical of a decision than on say a brisket.  It is also a lot bulkier than a brisket so shielding (cap down) isn't really an issue.  I go fat cap up.  I also support your idea to inject.  Brining and injecting is good but if I only could do one, it would be inject. 

 

[smokeasaurus]

I cut most of the fat cap off of a butt. So much marbling inside, you don't need it. Makes clean up easier and you get more rub/smoke coverage.................. 8)

 

[Northener]

Thanks , good points. I am a rookie at this compared to many on here. The last butt I did I put cap down because I had baked beans going on at the same time directly below butt. Both turned out great. Now if I can only remember what/where I got the recipe for the beans.  I need to take notes and write down that info

 

[SuperDave]

Do you think you got the bean recipe here?  I've got a pretty good one under side dishes.

 

[Northener]

Iam really not sure but the where great. I'll check that recipe out of yours thanks.

 

[DivotMaker]

I cut most of the fat cap off of a butt. So much marbling inside, you don't need it. Makes clean up easier and you get more rub/smoke coverage.................. 8)

+1!  Me too!  No need for a lot of fat cap on butts.

 

[DivotMaker]

I had baked beans going on at the same time directly below butt. Both turned out great.

I would recommend, if you must do a pan of beans in the smoker with the butt, you should put the beans above the butt.  That pan creates a huge heat sink/shield between the meat and the heat.  You will get even better bark, and shorter cook time, without a large pan under your meat.

 

[mizzoufan]

This is one of the few times that I disagree with SuperDave.  I brine everything that goes into my smoker and sometimes inject.  In the end, you'd end up with great pulled pork either way. 
As for the half hotel pan sized sides below the meat, you might end up with a little less bark and a slightly longer cook time, but to me it's more than worth it to have that yummy pork dripping flavor in my beans/mac.  I'll typically put them in for just the last couple of hours and maybe toss another small chunk of wood in, but most of the smoke flavor comes from the drippings anyway.

 

[smokeasaurus]

I don't know about brining a pork butt..............unless you are trying to get a flavor profile deep into it....sure...but if brining just for moisture....heck...the butt has that covered. Plenty of fat inside just waiting to render.

Now that I think of it, I sure like to inject a butt every now and then with Kerns pear nectar.........tasty 8)

Now I feel like pulling a picnic out and smoking it  ;D

 

[NDKoze]

I'm with Steve. After trying brining and not brining, I brine ALL of my pork butts now.

 

[DivotMaker]

I don't know about brining a pork butt..............

Try my brine recipe, then tell me that. And, Merry Christmas!

 

[smokeasaurus]

I don't know about brining a pork butt..............

Try my brine recipe, then tell me that.

I tend to lightly season and smoke my butts (sometimes I do no wood at all) so we can have more options for leftovers...kinda going for just the flavor of the pork.....

 

[ArsenalFan]

I use the Q-matz, and put my butt fat cap down, because ever time I've smoked a butt, there is always a hunk that gets caramelized with the rub and sticks/burns onto the mat or the rack...so if I put it fat cap down, when I pull the butt off the mat, the only thing sticking to the mat/rack is a hunk of fat that was going to be going in the garbage anyway.  Sure, a bit of bark is being pulled off too, but I feel less bad about that than having bark and a hunk of good meat sticking to the mat/rack instead if I put it fat cap up.

 

[DivotMaker]

Doesn't matter, on butts, because the majority of external fat should get trimmed off anyways.  There is plenty of internal fat, and trimming it off the outside gives better brine penetration, and better bark.  Plus, you don't end up with so much fat in your pulled pork (lots of folks don't want that in their pulled pork).

 

[Pork Belly]

the majority of external fat should get trimmed off anyways

Much like, Ford v Chevy there are various opinions but I find  untrimmed fat cap up for butts gives consistent excellent results, brined or unbrined.

 

[DivotMaker]

Lol...so right, Brian!  Chevy, btw.