Pork Cushion Meat????

[HarrynVegas]

Smart & Final in Vegas has Farmer John's pork cushion meat for $2.09/lb. What the fark is pork cushion meat? It looks like it might work for PP, but what do I know.

[RevZiLLa]

Toft?

[RevZiLLa]

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=306.0

We smoke up to 120 lbs of pulled pork weekly. I really love the BS for cleanup, more sleep and consistancy. The drastic increase in the costs of pork butts in the last 6 months has created considerable concern for us. Butts have gone from $.79 to $1.55 a pound in these parts. Which has lead to looking around for alternative pork cuts. We have been cooking pork cushions the past few weeks with pretty good results. They take just about the same amount of time to smoke. 10 to 12 hours. The cushion is a 2-1/2 to 3 pound piece of pork cut off the end of large pork butts by the meat packers. They have considerably less fat and lend to a leaner finished product. We have found the meat has to be cooked to 200 to 205 degrees for good pulling. We sprinkle lightly with tender quick and wash off in cold water after 3 to 4 minutes. Otherwise it will lead to a reasonably salty product. At the same time the quick will help create a nice smoke ring effect. Then we brush with prepared mustard and sprinkle on our dry rub. The BS will hold 16 of the cushions or 8 pork butts.
After 6 hours of smoke we wrap each roast in foil with 1/4 cup apple juice added to give moisture and back in the oven until roasts reach 200 degrees. We pull while hot using our trusty bear paws [http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/Smileys/default/smiley.gif]. They sure make the job easier and no worry about burning our fingers. In 2002 at the Montana State PNWBA competition we got a 180 or perfect score using this method. Sure sell a lot of this pulled pork packed in 1 or 2 pound vacuume sealed packages at $9 a lb

[nucornhusker]

http://askabutcher.proboards.com/thread/104/pork-cushion-meat

I've seen people use the cushion for pork "burnt ends". I'd get it for sure. I wish our local stores had it.

[early mornin' smokin']

there's a local bbq restaurant up here, and that's all he uses. Needless to say, he doesn't have a strong following

[KnucklHed BBQ]

Cushion meat is essentially the meat between the shoulder and neck, I've heard it cooks up fine but haven't done any myself... if I remember correctly, KCBS does not allow it to be substituted for butts even if it does meet the 5lb minimum, just in case competition is in mind, obviously there must be a reason why they don't consider it a butt

[poorolddan]

I got stuck cooking 400# for a fundraiser. Meat rep talked organizing chair into it instead of butt. Cooked to 200* still wouldn't pull. I had to slice it thin to serve it. I told chair to pack sand the next year. Tasted OK but very labor intense.

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

It is like pork brisket. Not the easiest to cook, but good eats.

[GL-BBQ]

The store was out of everything but a 15# cryopack of cushion so I picked it up. As I look at it now through the package it like four hunks of meat. I was hoping to do PP but after reading this thread it doesn't sound like a good idea. I've never done buckboard bacon before so I'm wondering if this would be a good use for it. I found this on thirdeye's website:

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/10/buckboard-bacon.html

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[IamMadMan]

The "cushion" comes from the Pork Shoulder Picnic, the picnic is more economical than the Boston Butt, but also contains more fat and bone than the Pork Butt. The Picnic has a large bone and joint that runs through the middle of the roast, one side has a large lean muscle...that is the "cushion".

When the bone and fat is trimmed from the picnic, the cushion cam be removed, and it results in a leaner, rich flavored, chunk of meat called the "Cushion". The meat from this cut is excellent for making barbecued pulled pork but lower longer cooking temperatures are essential in breaking down the connective tissues into collagen.

It is also good for making mini-hams or tied boneless hams because they are leaner.

[GL-BBQ]

The "cushion" comes from the Pork Shoulder Picnic, the picnic is more economical than the Boston Butt, but also contains more fat and bone than the Pork Butt. The Picnic has a large bone and joint that runs through the middle of the roast, one side has a large lean muscle...that is the "cushion".

When the bone and fat is trimmed from the picnic, the cushion cam be removed, and it results in a leaner, rich flavored, chunk of meat called the "Cushion". The meat from this cut is excellent for making barbecued pulled pork but lower longer cooking temperatures are essential in breaking down the connective tissues into collagen.

Thanks IamMadMan...

[1buckie]

The store was out of everything but a 15# cryopack of cushion so I picked it up. As I look at it now through the package it like four hunks of meat. I was hoping to do PP but after reading this thread it doesn't sound like a good idea. I've never done buckboard bacon before so I'm wondering if this would be a good use for it. I found this on thirdeye's website:

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/10/buckboard-bacon.html

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Buckboard would be a good use..........


I've done pull a bunch with this stuff.......what I used to use before I really understood how to do butt.............

Two things,
The moisture / fat factor, like the Bradley people say ("They have considerably less fat and lend to a leaner finished product.") is very true & needs to be attended to....

I injected & it was fine......Tony's or other Creole / Cajun Butter, some type of oil with spices concoction, any type marinade, strained, with at least a bit of an oily consistency works fine (herb & garlic, lemon pepper, etc.)


Second, hot & fast will tighten it up & dry it out, try that at your own risk.......


Smart & Final is the only place I've ever got the stuff.....seen it at Sam's recently..........

[swamprb]

I've cooked cushion meat and people loved it.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/USBBQS%202012/IMG_4938.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/USBBQS%202012/IMG_4939.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/USBBQS%202012/IMG_4875.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/USBBQS%202012/IMG_4873.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/USBBQS%202012/IMG_4876.jpg

A lot less shrinkage and better yield than butts.

Never had any issues shredding it either.

[IamMadMan]

I've cooked cushion meat and people loved it.

A lot less shrinkage and better yield than butts.

Never had any issues shredding it either.

Awesome looking pork, I am a fan of those long strands of pulled pork.