Fat cap: On or off?

[SirPorkaLot]

I trim it all off. I did a blind taste test with people at work, and didn't tell anyone what was different. 4 out of 5 people picked the but that was cooked without a fat cap. They said that it tasted more pork like. Personally I think that it was the extra bark that made it taste better.

Exact opposite of my experience with hundreds of pork butts under my belt.

Pretty funny how people can be solidly on opposite ends of the same spectrum.

And for the record there is not that much difference in quantity of bark. The fat cap covers a small portion of the overall butt

 

[Grillman]

I trim it all off, there is still going to be LOTS of fat throughout the meat to give it
flavor and tenderness. Plus I'm not young anymore and I ate all the Fatty covered
foods when I was younger, Ribs, Pulled Pork and all the others. Now I'm trying to
eat healthier while still enjoying great tasting foods. Change your eating habits now,
instead of waiting for a Doctor to tell you to change so you don't die.

 

[CarolinaQue]

I trim it all off, there is still going to be LOTS of fat throughout the meat to give it
flavor and tenderness. Plus I'm not young anymore and I ate all the Fatty covered
foods when I was younger, Ribs, Pulled Pork and all the others. Now I'm trying to
eat healthier while still enjoying great tasting foods. Change your eating habits now,
instead of waiting for a Doctor to tell you to change so you don't die.

Do you really believe that the fat cap is going to make a big difference over all with a pork butt fat content wise?

I think that most all of us that leave it on for the cook wipe it right off after it's rested so it never makes it mixed into the meat. So I'm not sure I see much benifit to taking it off other than for a little more bark?

 

[Grillman]

Do you really believe that the fat cap is going to make a big difference over all with a pork butt fat content wise?

I think that most all of us that leave it on for the cook wipe it right off after it's rested so it never makes it mixed into the meat. So I'm not sure I see much benifit to taking it off other than for a little more bark?

Of course...anytime you eliminate any fat or other unhealthy things from
your diet, you are taking steps to eat healthier, especially since the
fat-cap is pretty much 100% fat and can be easily removed.

People can cut WAY back on how much fat they eat, while still enjoying
good tasting food. If you don't want too, that's OK, you are free to eat
anything you want, any way you want.

 

[ShutYrMouth]

I'm with sir pork.
Leave her on!

 

[Boshizzle]

I leave the FC on pork butts. That's how we roll in VA.

 

[Big Bears BBQ]

We trim .....

 

[CarolinaQue]

Of course...anytime you eliminate any fat or other unhealthy things from
your diet, you are taking steps to eat healthier, especially since the
fat-cap is pretty much 100% fat and can be easily removed.

People can cut WAY back on how much fat they eat, while still enjoying
good tasting food. If you don't want too, that's OK, you are free to eat
anything you want, any way you want.

I'm just sayin' that there is so much fat inside the butt already, that I just don't see how taking the fat off prior to cooking is going to reduce the over all fat content any more than scraping it off after the butt is cooked? Either way, it's not making it's way into the final product.

But no matter what, pork butt is definately not on the list of "healthy" foods no matter if it's fat cap on or off when you cook it IMO. Definately not a "lean" cut of pork by any stretch!!!

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Leave it on and take it off after the cook

 

[92slcvrt]

I remove it and save it to mix in my sausage

 

[Grillman]

But no matter what, pork butt is definately not on the list of "healthy" foods no matter if it's fat cap on or off when you cook it IMO. Definately not a "lean" cut of pork by any stretch!!!

I never said it was healthy, or lean.

 

[LoneStarMojo]

I go capless for the cook. maybe it makes no difference but I just seem to like the final product better no matter if slicing or pulling.

 

[LMAJ]

I'm with Ron_L on this one - trin it down, but leave a little for protection,,,

 

[CarolinaQue]

I trim it all off, there is still going to be LOTS of fat throughout the meat to give it
flavor and tenderness. Plus I'm not young anymore and I ate all the Fatty covered
foods when I was younger, Ribs, Pulled Pork and all the others. Now I'm trying to
eat healthier while still enjoying great tasting foods. Change your eating habits now,
instead of waiting for a Doctor to tell you to change so you don't die.

I must have misunderstood what you were implying?

 

[likeadeere]

Mine usually falls off after 8 hours of boiling it in water.....:bow:

 

[jestridge]

I did,'t put it on there and not taking it off

 

[CarolinaQue]

Mine usually falls off after 8 hours of boiling it in water.....:bow:

That right there is funny!!!:laugh:

 

[El Ropo]

All this talk about fatty pork, and health... If you're cooking it till probe tender, most of the internal fat is melted away.

I'm sure eating pulled pork sammies for lunch 7 days a week is a lot better for me than going to mcd's, wendy's, sonic, etc...

Knew a guy who ate at Sonic for lunch 6 days a week. He dropped dead with a massive heart attack at age 45. Of course he was obese, 5' 9" and pushing 275. But 45? That's what fast food will do, not to mention it tastes like cardboard.

 

[Pitmaster T]

Funny how alot of you are correct while many are wrong.

 

[Jaskew82]

So Pitmaster T - What do you do? I have seen a bunch of your brisket videos and they always look amazing. I have no doubt you cook a mean pork butt!

What say you?