Cut A Pork Butt In Half?

[Ordell]

My wife (who clearly loves me) just came home from the market with an 8 pound pork butt! If I cut this sucker in half, can I halve the cook time to about 8 hours? Yee-haw!

If anyone cares, I will be using a camp chef DLX smoker at 225-275. Frigid temps in Vermont are a fun part of this and pellet type is TBD.

 

[Hamdrew]

sure but you could probably wrap it and have the whole thing done in time, too.

 

[thirdeye]

I don't think the reduction in cook time is proportional... as in a half-butt will cook in half the time as a whole butt. But cook time for half-butts is shorter, and you do get more bark. I'm guessing you will reduce your cook time by 30 or 40%. The only times I've done it, I smoked for maybe 4 hours and then wrapped. Here are 2 butts I sliced in half for a shorter cook with a wrapped finish, I just can't recall the actual time savings.

 

[robertm]

What thirdeye said!

It will be shorter cook but not half. Quality of finished product isn't degraded in any way as long as you still have good amounts of fat laced throughout both.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

I don't think the reduction in cook time is proportional... as in a half-butt will cook in half the time as a whole butt. But cook time for half-butts is shorter, and you do get more bark. I'm guessing you will reduce your cook time by 30 or 40%. The only times I've done it, I smoked for maybe 4 hours and then wrapped. Here are 2 butts I sliced in half for a shorter cook with a wrapped finish, I just can't recall the actual time savings.
]

Smoked a butt last weekend. Cut in half. Low and slow. I didn't really save any time but that wasn't my goal. Low and slow. Nice and smoky. Didn't foil till 170. Bout 9 hours. Lot's of bark. Perfect pork.

At higher temps I'm sure you can trim some time but not half...

 

[okiej]

I don't think you will save much time. I prefer to cook them whole myself. Unless I am separating the money muscle for medallions.

 

[BBQButler]

Let us know how it turns out. —- curious of your time reductions

 

[gcs]

I get the boneless butts from costco that are sliced with a broad sword...:wink:

I finish cutting them in two and either smoke half and grind the ugly half, or cut into steaks, and chunk the ugly half....At 275 or so the half gets done in about 5 hours give or take a little.

 

[Callahan-que]

At those Temps I say 6 hours and done.

 

[smoke ninja]

yup fine to cut in half. it will reduce cook time.....but not by half

 

[4ever3]

Cut cook time in half?

Doubtful...

More bark?

YES!!!