Cutting butt to speed up cooking

Recyellow · 01-15-2014, 09:53 AM

I am going to be doing a few festivals this year and was wondering what the pros and cons would be to cut Boston butt in half to speed up cooking time?

sliding_billy · 01-15-2014, 10:00 AM

Pro - Faster cooking, more bark.
Con - More firm meat around the edges, and some folks don't like more bark. The two halves are not going to be the same types of meat (money muscle on one side for example), so if they are going to different tables or whatever folks will be getting varied cuts.

DownHomeQue · 01-15-2014, 12:35 PM

i dont see a drawback.. more bark.. To combat the firm edges i would use foil pans with quarter butts in them and beer or water or cola in the bottom. for the final couple hours before you pull the meat.. then back into the bath with a foil hat to hold the meat.. would be my idea..

smokingmeats · 01-15-2014, 12:43 PM

As stated above, the meat would have a little more bark and would be a little drier.

cholloway · 01-15-2014, 12:46 PM

I do half butts all the time and they certainly aren't dry at all. Remember, shorter cooking times.

shagnasty · 01-15-2014, 12:49 PM

Ive done some myself. I see you are in KY. Most HD around our area require you cook onsite for festivals so it helps to cut down on cook time.

Hozman · 01-15-2014, 01:03 PM

I have done it as well. In fact I did it this weekend cause I didn't want to stay up with an all nighter or get up super early. Turns out great and again more bark.

oldbill · 01-15-2014, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recyellow

I am going to be doing a few festivals this year and was wondering what the pros and cons would be to cut Boston butt in half to speed up cooking time?

I really like to keep the large cuts in tact if possible. Have you tried wrapping in butcher paper after a few hours of smoke and then ramping up the heat? With this method you're basically "Texas crutching" as you would with a brisket and wrapping the meat once you've gotten the color or bark that you want. The paper will give you a shorter cook, protect the meat from increased heat, hold in moisture and also let you keep some of your bark as apposed to foil which creates too much steam.

daninnewjersey · 01-15-2014, 01:24 PM

I started cooking butts for some of my buddies. My Sam's carried whole bone in butts (2 to a pack) so I get what I need and have the dudes in the back cut each one in half with the saw. They go right through the bone obviously so each piece of the butt has bone. They cook a lot faster and like the others on here said you get way more bark....

Johnny_Crunch · 01-15-2014, 02:33 PM

I cut up a 10 pounder into 6 pieces and smoked it on my kettle in 3.5 hours or so. Turned out great.

01-15-2014, 09:53 AM	#1
Recyellow Found some matches. Join Date: 08-23-13 Location: Elizabethtown, Ky	Cutting butt to speed up cooking I am going to be doing a few festivals this year and was wondering what the pros and cons would be to cut Boston butt in half to speed up cooking time?

01-15-2014, 10:00 AM	#2
sliding_billy somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-27-13 Location: Princeton, TX Name/Nickname : )	Pro - Faster cooking, more bark. Con - More firm meat around the edges, and some folks don't like more bark. The two halves are not going to be the same types of meat (money muscle on one side for example), so if they are going to different tables or whatever folks will be getting varied cuts. __________________ Custom Offset/GMG Davy Crockett/Vision Kamado/Blackstone 36"/Weber 22" "redhead"/WSM 14.5" X2/Jumbo Joe/Pit Boss Copperhead/KCBS

01-15-2014, 12:35 PM	#3
DownHomeQue is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-11-12 Location: Jonesboro. AR Name/Nickname : DHQ	i dont see a drawback.. more bark.. To combat the firm edges i would use foil pans with quarter butts in them and beer or water or cola in the bottom. for the final couple hours before you pull the meat.. then back into the bath with a foil hat to hold the meat.. would be my idea.. __________________ [URL]http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=243527[/URL] 150 Gallon Build (2017) [URL]http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148660[/URL] 250 Gallon Offset Build (2012) [URL]http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211078[/URL] 600 Gallon Offset Build (2016)

01-15-2014, 12:46 PM	#5
cholloway Babbling Farker Join Date: 05-10-11 Location: East of Atlanta, GA. Name/Nickname : Colin	I do half butts all the time and they certainly aren't dry at all. Remember, shorter cooking times. __________________ Colin - "Drinking alcohol can cause memory loss... or worse, memory loss" New Braunfels Hondo Offset New Braunfels Bandera (Refurbished & Improved) Char-Broil 450 (Purchased new in 1981) 1996 Blue Weber SS Performer Weber charcoal Go-Anywhere 2 Weber SJSs & modified stock pot Mini-WSM Weber rotisserie, Rib-O-Lator & Smokenator system Blackstone Tailgater Combo & STOK Island gasser

01-15-2014, 12:49 PM	#6
shagnasty Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-08-13 Location: Western, KY	Ive done some myself. I see you are in KY. Most HD around our area require you cook onsite for festivals so it helps to cut down on cook time. __________________ Lonestargrillz insulated cabinet smoker. Assassin grill. Pitmaster for Hey Baby's BBQ company.

01-15-2014, 12:43 PM	#4
smokingmeats On the road to being a farker Join Date: 01-14-14 Location: Roseville MN	As stated above, the meat would have a little more bark and would be a little drier.

01-15-2014, 01:03 PM	#7
Hozman Take a breath! Join Date: 09-07-11 Location: Grain Valley, MO via Big Sky country	I have done it as well. In fact I did it this weekend cause I didn't want to stay up with an all nighter or get up super early. Turns out great and again more bark. __________________ 18.5 & 22.5 WSM-Weber one touch. Cyber Q Wi-Fi. Head cook Thick and Thin BBQ

01-15-2014, 01:24 PM	#9
daninnewjersey Babbling Farker Join Date: 01-01-11 Location: Southern NJ...exit 36	I started cooking butts for some of my buddies. My Sam's carried whole bone in butts (2 to a pack) so I get what I need and have the dudes in the back cut each one in half with the saw. They go right through the bone obviously so each piece of the butt has bone. They cook a lot faster and like the others on here said you get way more bark.... __________________ Proud owner of 4 VERY ugly drum smokers....and a Greasy Hill reverse flow....

01-15-2014, 02:33 PM	#10
Johnny_Crunch Babbling Farker Join Date: 04-03-10 Location: Cypress TX	I cut up a 10 pounder into 6 pieces and smoked it on my kettle in 3.5 hours or so. Turned out great. __________________ J Crunch