PDA

View Full Version : Cutting a Butt in half?


ddweatherholtz
05-23-2012, 12:01 PM
Any drawbacks to buying a 12 pound but and cutting it in half to reduce the smoke time?

bigabyte
05-23-2012, 12:06 PM
You don't cut the time by a whole lot, but it does cut down the time. Plan for just a couple hours difference. You can get more bark though.

I prefer leaving them whole. I think the end result is better.

El Ropo
05-23-2012, 12:12 PM
No need, it won't reduce cook time. Raise cooking temp to power through. Butts/picnics are the easiest meat to cook, very forgiving. You can cook them at 350, and get a wonderful result.

If time is the concern, see above. 300 plus cooking temp. Rendered meat is rendered meat. Don't forget about the rest period.

ddweatherholtz
05-23-2012, 12:13 PM
Would a 12 pounder not be about 15-18 hours and a 6 pounder 7-9 hours. I am cooking for 8 people, wanna do a sampling of a pulled, a few chickens and maybe a rack or 2 of baby backs, i have used these "petetite Butts" from the grocery store which i am guessing are just cut Butts, but seem to not have as much fat in them.

bigabyte
05-23-2012, 12:14 PM
By that logic, a one pounder, which is essentially jsut a country style rib, would only take up to 90 minutes. That's not the case. The time estimate of 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour per pound is an "average" quoted for the average of all butts folks cook, which probably average around 8 pounds perhaps. Less for smaller, more for larger.

ddweatherholtz
05-23-2012, 12:20 PM
Dang it! Really trying not to wake up at the ass crack of dawn at least one Saturday! Well i guess ill put the whole thing on by 7ish and hope i can get it done by with rest by 6. 300-325 degrees here i come! That is my normal chicken tem anyways so this might work out.

hamiltont
05-23-2012, 12:24 PM
Foiling it @ ~165F or when the bark is right for ya can help speed it up a bit. Can't say how much because every butt has a mind of its own.... Cheers!!!

Fatback Joe
05-23-2012, 12:28 PM
Are you sure it is just one butt? 12 lbs would be a very large butt.

Lake Dogs
05-23-2012, 12:32 PM
Dang it! Really trying not to wake up at the ass crack of dawn at least one Saturday! Well i guess ill put the whole thing on by 7ish and hope i can get it done by with rest by 6. 300-325 degrees here i come! That is my normal chicken tem anyways so this might work out.


At 260+- you should be done, give or take, around 4pm. And yeah, what Fatback_Joe said above. 12# is a bit unusual. Whole shoulders tend to run 18#-22#. Butts tend to be between 6#-10.5#...

ddweatherholtz
05-23-2012, 01:19 PM
Ill double check the weight.

Fatback Joe
05-23-2012, 01:35 PM
Ill double check the weight.

I was just thinking that there was maybe 2 6 pounders in a cryo and thought you had one..........if it is a 12 lber, it is a 12 lber..........just that would be really big for a butt.

ddweatherholtz
05-23-2012, 01:37 PM
I was just thinking that there was maybe 2 6 pounders in a cryo and thought you had one..........if it is a 12 lber, it is a 12 lber..........just that would be really big for a butt.


That could be possible

hamiltont
05-23-2012, 01:40 PM
Butts tend to be fairly square/cube shaped. Is this one about double the length? If it is then there's prolly 2 in there.

Outnumbered
05-23-2012, 01:43 PM
Where did you buy it? If it's at Sam's Club or RD, it's going to be 2 butts in the bag.

colonel00
05-23-2012, 01:50 PM
I like big butts....

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DqVShL4oFAA/Tr6q_w8tHmI/AAAAAAAADms/PLSdMLRarJQ/s1232/IMAG0765.jpg

I don't remember the weight of that one but it was a biggin'