Boston Butt - fat side up?

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John Beere

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Alton Brown mentioned smoking Boston Butt's fat side up vs. fat side down. I've never tried it this way and am putting two on the BGE around 6:00 PM tonight.

Any pros or cons? scandals? controversy?

I reckon I could just do one each way and see what happens...
 
Fat up. It will let the fat drip into the nooks & crannies, crevices and cracks making it more moist and easier to pull your pork later.
 
...easier to pull your pork

I'm telling you guys, this thread is one millimeter from getting locked!

Thanks. I'll post pictures, just cause, tomorrow if this thread manages to not get locked before then.

Now off to start tonight's ribs! Finally got a decent rib rack...
 
Can't speak for Boston butt, but I accidentally cooked a turkey breast side down a couple years ago and that was the best turkey breast I'd ever eaten.

Probably for the same reason that fat side up is recommended.
 
Don't forget to rub your butt! Some folks will slather it in mustard first, then a dry rub.

I go for a dry butt rub as the fat will moisten things up nicely. When it's done, I use gloves (hot butt) to get the butt off the smoker. Just grab it firmly on each side and gently lift it.

Be careful or it will come off in your hands leaving you with a big mess to clean up, so a spatula is handy.

Wrap the butt in foil and let it sit a while before you pull it.
 
Don't forget to rub your butt!

Oh, I've rubbed my butt...

DSC00455.jpg
 
Last night, I slathered and rubbed both my butt and my flank. Then I whipped up some sauce to squeeze on later.

I had a little rub left over, so I scored this for a little foreplay...I mean, an appetizer.



The butt is small with little fat, but that's how I like them. I just rolled them both over to a new position...now it's time to mop them down and put em' back under the covers for awhile. Smokin' hot! Wow...I need a cold shower, or maybe a dip in the pool.

 
Since you wanted controversy I will hook you up.

Fat side up is traditional for offsets etc... that have large amounts of airflow and dry out the meat. It does indeed baste the butt.

Fat side down is gaining a new and large following in the ceramic world. A lot of the ceramic competition teams are now doing fat down in order to gain bark. Basically, as the fat renders it drips down the outside and inhibits bark formation (while basting the meat). Since ceramics like your egg don't have a problem drying meat it is seen as an undesirable effect.
 
"Fat cap up or down?

Technically you can do them either way; however, lets put some logic to it. If you put fat side up you are putting the spices you rubbed into the meat toward the heat. It gets burned off and washed away with the fat dripping from the cooking process. Furthermore you have all that fat flowing through the meat. As the meat cools off this solidifies into grease. Fat really does not allow the spices of your rubs to penetrate.

Rub up the meat put the fat to the heat (down). As that fat breaks down all it does is go into the drip pan. The spices on the meat stay on the meat. And get pulled thorugh the meat as the collagen and fat breaks down. The fat give you that much more of a barrier between the heat and the meat."

From here

Something to think about.
 
I like to score the fat cap with a cross-hatch pattern, and then rub the spices into the cuts. This allows the melted fat and spices to penetrate further into the meat. Several hours later, I'll turn it over. By then the volume of fat is greatly reduced, and the additional surface area created by the cuts helps it crisp up for a nice texture.
 
Meat went on around 6:00... one up, one down. We'll answer this once and for all tomorrow night!

Be sure and post some pics...and feel free to FedEx me some samples of each so I can judge!

I didn't manage to get pictures of my completed butt...they probably would be blurry anyhow, as my hands were trembling with anticipation. Oh my gawd, it's so good!!!!! After 10 1/2 hours in the smoker, the whole roast just crumbled apart into a giant plate of porky goodness. Similar to Mexican carnitas, but even more tender and unctuous, and rich with smoke. My girlfriend picked up some fresh rolls from the bakery, so we piled it on high and soaked it with Ed's vinegar sauce. My pale ale worked great to wash it down.

My only question is why do we ever eat anything else? :D
 
:off:

Butt along the same lines.

Reading this thread motivated me to smoke a butt today............can i do this without letting the rub sit on it in the fridge wrapped tight with saran wrap over night?

can i rub it down and toss it on the smoke after letting it sit for like 30 min?
 
So, what did ya'll think of the sauce?

Nice! The slight sourness of the vinegar balances out the smoky sweetness of the pork. It's very thin, but works great with the pork, which already has such a rich and sticky texture. (Sticky isn't the right word...but I'm sure you know what I mean!) I had to substitute light brown sugar for the turbinado, but I think it's still close to your intent. Got it in a "Bobby Flay" style squeeze bottle, ready for next time.

I'm not a big fan of smoked beers, but I wonder if a smoked porter would be a good match? Or would it be a bit overwhelming? Hmnn...
 
can i do this without letting the rub sit on it in the fridge wrapped tight with saran wrap over night?

can i rub it down and toss it on the smoke after letting it sit for like 30 min?

It's not optimal, but I think you could get away with it. It's going to be sitting in the smoker a LONG time anyhow, so it will have a chance to absorb the flavor.

Get it going now, time is fleeting! Mine was a small butt, and it still took nearly 12 hours to get up to temperature. Unless you've got a rig that is safe to leave going unattended overnight, it makes for a mighty late dinner.
 
:off:

Butt along the same lines.

Reading this thread motivated me to smoke a butt today............can i do this without letting the rub sit on it in the fridge wrapped tight with saran wrap over night?

can i rub it down and toss it on the smoke after letting it sit for like 30 min?

Since it smokes so long......you really do not have to wait at all. I just put some mustard or olive oil on my shoulder, rub it down, and pop it in the smoker no waiting.
 
Well, I've examined them both and done a taste test... its really hard to say if the one that was fat side up is any more tender as the one with the fat side down basically fell apart it was so tender.

The one thing for certain is that the fat on the one with the fat side up hasn't charred the same way as the other - which is about my favorite part. It also has a pretty good layer of bark on it...

So it seems my experiment is inconclusive. Any which way, its some damn good eats.
 
Well, I'm gonna take it back. I just pulled both of them... didn't feel like waiting any longer. The one with the fat side up was just about the consistancy of butter - almost too moist if thats possible. The other was very moist but not like that... I pulled em both and just mixed em both up together.

Here is the first I pulled - fat side down. This was before I pulled it. Like I said, it literally fell apart... Thats the bone there in the back.

DSC00461.jpg
 
Large cuts of meat should always be cooked fat side up, but in the grill case you are using a direct flame on the fat so it goes away. In an oven though, you'd certainly see more of a difference. You get left with a blob type fat instead of a nice crispy fat.
 
:off:

Butt along the same lines.

Reading this thread motivated me to smoke a butt today............can i do this without letting the rub sit on it in the fridge wrapped tight with saran wrap over night?

can i rub it down and toss it on the smoke after letting it sit for like 30 min?

we do this all the time and the meat always comes out so good it's addictive! :mug:

Bigjohn is quite the pitmaster!!!
 
I'm telling you guys, this thread is one millimeter from getting locked!

Thanks. I'll post pictures, just cause, tomorrow if this thread manages to not get locked before then.

Now off to start tonight's ribs! Finally got a decent rib rack...

I love a nice firm rack.
 
Nice! The slight sourness of the vinegar balances out the smoky sweetness of the pork. It's very thin, but works great with the pork, which already has such a rich and sticky texture. (Sticky isn't the right word...but I'm sure you know what I mean!) I had to substitute light brown sugar for the turbinado, but I think it's still close to your intent. Got it in a "Bobby Flay" style squeeze bottle, ready for next time.

I'm not a big fan of smoked beers, but I wonder if a smoked porter would be a good match? Or would it be a bit overwhelming? Hmnn...

Glad you like it. Ya gotta shake it before squirting to get the cayenne & chipotle spices into solution. The heat & vinegar make the sandwich IMHO. Lots of folks are turned off by vinegar, but the ones that try it come back for more.

Smoked porter would be a good last beer of the meal for me.
 
I forgot to mention I whipped up some of your sauce yesterday - although, in haste, I doubled the Chipolte. Its very addictive stuff!

Sweet! I bet that kicked in the afterburner about 10 seconds after your first bite!! I love the delayed heat in Chipotle peppers. :rockin:
 
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