Upscale Pork

Are you cooking upscale pork or ribs?

  • I cook non-upscale ribs or butts

    Votes: 92 83.6%

  • I cook Berkshire ribs

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • I cook Berkshire butts

    Votes: 4 3.6%

  • I cook Duroc ribs

    Votes: 15 13.6%

  • I cook Duroc butts

    Votes: 13 11.8%

  • I cook some other upscale ribs or butts

    Votes: 1 0.9%
  • Total voters
    110
Ron_L

Ron_L

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It seems that most teams have moved to upscale brisket (prime or Wagyu), but how many of you are cooking upscale ribs or butts (Berkshire, Duroc, etc.)

This can be anonymous if you prefer no to disclose what you are cooking, but discussion is encouraged.
 
Bought Duroc online. Didn't find it any better than Costco meat. Maybe if I had done a side-by-side taste comparison, my reply would be different.
 
we're still cooking sam's club pork and ribs. I've talked to a few guys who have tried compart and (whether they're telling the truth or not) they've all said that the meat has an amazing flavor but the MM and ribs are too small to work very well.
 
I cook Duroc or Berkshire Butts but not the ribs. I don't feel the ribs are better, they are too small. I do get better flavor from the butts.
 
I cooked duroc butts for my last comp and finished 1st in pork. Was it due to the duroc, not real sure but it's better than 20th from the comp before. Planning on buying duroc again. As far as ribs go, I wasn't able to get a hold of duroc ribs in the price range I wanted to but I did find some all natural STL spares that were fantastic and helped us pull 4th in ribs.
 
cpw said:
we're still cooking sam's club pork and ribs. I've talked to a few guys who have tried compart and (whether they're telling the truth or not) they've all said that the meat has an amazing flavor but the MM and ribs are too small to work very well.
Click to expand...
I didn't even notice a difference in flavor. ribs didn't have enough meat on them and the money muscles were tiny. I'm guessing I'd have a different opinion if I was a big name team and got the better stuff.
 
cpw said:
we're still cooking sam's club pork and ribs. I've talked to a few guys who have tried compart and (whether they're telling the truth or not) they've all said that the meat has an amazing flavor but the MM and ribs are too small to work very well.
Click to expand...

This is where we have been, too, and I've heard the same thing. Ribs has been our best category so I doubt I will mess with them, but I am curious about duroc or berkshire butts.
 
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Reactions: cpw
We've done two side by side tastings of Duroc vs commodity butts and 100% of people have chosen Duroc.

The ribs were split probably 60/40 towards commodity, and I think they look way better.
 
erichasaces said:
We've done two side by side tastings of Duroc vs commodity butts and 100% of people have chosen Duroc.

The ribs were split probably 60/40 towards commodity, and I think they look way better.
Click to expand...

Was anything done differently between the two? Rubs, injectons, etc?
 
Ron_L said:
Was anything done differently between the two? Rubs, injectons, etc?
Click to expand...

I've never done mass testing. But I have done a side by side by virtue of cooking 3 butts and only having one duroc. They were all prepped identically and we could easily tell which one was the duroc. But that's just family and friends and it wasn't blind.

But most of the people eating didn't have a darn clue what a duroc butt was or that it was special they just said that pan was better when asked. (every person who ate both, like the duroc better. About 8 people. All the duroc was gone, the other two made up the leftovers)
 
I ordered "fancy" ribs once and they were just so tiny!!! I've heard the same as Chad; the MM is too small to work with on compart pork.
 
bigdogphin said:
Finding a consistent source is the problem. Most of the mail order stuff is too expensive to take a chance on.
Click to expand...

I'm lucky. The closest butcher to my house only has compart Duroc pork. I get to go dig for what I want, and the ones they have generally are ones with huge money muscles. The ribs are always super thin though compared to commodity.
 
I've been very happy with butts from Sam's. My ribs source might change this year, but not to Duroc or Berkshire.
 
Duroc, just because it's more consistent. Specifically Compart Duroc. The ribs a smallish, but they have always tasted better, and I'm only looking for 6-8 bones to put in a box and I can do that easily with 4 racks. The butts are worth it, always dark red with nice white fat. If you can find economy or local pork that lives up to your standards as far as look and PH, the reason for the color and taste, then go with that. I just like knowing what I'm getting and if it's consistent, then I can worth with that.
 
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