Do I leave the thick rind on my pork butt?

[jamojman]

Hi. I have organised to pick up what I think will be your idea of a pork butt (front top shoulder cut) from my butcher of 6.6lbs. He has conviced me to leave the bone to allow the better transfer of heat into the center of the meat. He has been skoking meat for 40 years (so I got lucky by asking him questions) and he said I should leave th thick skin on to prevent fat loss and drying out. I have seen several pictures of pork butt and most show none of the thick skin.

HELP!

ps; can any one post pictures of US cuts of meat or send it to me direct. I'd love to see a photo record of someone preparing a butt.....

jamojamn

[Grumpy Gator]

Jamo,

Over here we don't typically get the butt with the thick rind on. I don't even know if it is on there to begin with.

The picnic cut usually comes with the rind on, and it's probably split 50-50 between those that leave it on and those that remove it.

Typically the butt is the upper part of the shoulder and the picnic is the lower portion, or foreshank, if you will.

If I were you, I'd trust your butcher. Especially with his experience.

Then again... Texana's been cookin' chicken fer lots o' years. Would I eat Texana's chicken?? :shock: Nope! :crazy:

[gordo]

I always remove the rine...dose two things, it cooks quicker, and allows you to season that area with rub....agree with leaving the bone in, its works just like the butcher said....wouldnt worry about that pork drying out, those cuts are loaded with fat content....good luck with the cook! I'm cooking a couple of butts Saturday to eat on Sunday Super Bowl...

[jamojman]

So the hock to about half way is the picnic cut and the foreshoulder is the butt? A bit higher up and you get the neck cut which can come with or with out the skin and looks more like what I see in the pictures.

[jamojman]

I will be picking it up in 5 hours time ...... I will make a photo record of my attempt! Do I use brown or white sugar for the injection receipe?

[M38A1]

Here's two american butts, each about 7.5lbs. The first one has yellow mustard applied as the binder, the second has TxBBQRub.

Hope it helps...

[PhotoKirk]

I usually leave the skin on. I have a couple friends that like to munch on the skin after the cook.

Like Gorda said, pork butts are very fatty so you don't have to worry about them drying out. If you foil at 170, there is very little chance of drying out the meat unless you let your pit temps go crazy.

[Bowhnter2]

I will be picking it up in 5 hours time ...... I will make a photo record of my attempt! Do I use brown or white sugar for the injection receipe?

brown

[TexLaw]

So the hock to about half way is the picnic cut and the foreshoulder is the butt? A bit higher up and you get the neck cut which can come with or with out the skin and looks more like what I see in the pictures.


I think you have it right, there.

If I got one with the skin on, I might remove it, but I would cook it also. Like PK's friends, I like to snack on that skin. I might cut it up into strips first.


TL

[kpigout]

Hi. I have organised to pick up what I think will be your idea of a pork butt (front top shoulder cut) from my butcher of 6.6lbs. He has conviced me to leave the bone to allow the better transfer of heat into the center of the meat. He has been skoking meat for 40 years (so I got lucky by asking him questions) and he said I should leave th thick skin on to prevent fat loss and drying out. I have seen several pictures of pork butt and most show none of the thick skin.

HELP!

ps; can any one post pictures of US cuts of meat or send it to me direct. I'd love to see a photo record of someone preparing a butt.....

jamojamn

Sounds like you got a shoulder, not a butt. Here is one I did. Does it look like this?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v123/kpigout/Cyber-Tailgate%20Stuff/Im001257.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v123/kpigout/Cyber-Tailgate%20Stuff/Im001263.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v123/kpigout/Cyber-Tailgate%20Stuff/Im001266.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v123/kpigout/Cyber-Tailgate%20Stuff/Im001267.jpg