boston butt question

[bkemp00]

I am smoking a Boston butt tonight/tomorrow and my only question is fat side up or down?

Any other tips?

 

[kathrynn]

I do mine fat side up....but there are others that do them with the fat down.  If you have 2...try one each way and see what works best for you and your smoker.

Kat

 

[davidhef88]

Sure you had to ask THAT question. LOL I always do mine fat up, others go fat down.  If you put it in the search bar you'll find a thousand reasons why its done each way.

 

[dewetha]

I like the do one each way idea. it will tell you works for you.

basically I don't believe in the "basting" idea of fat side up. if low and slow melts fat out of meat, how can it absorb any? makes no sense to me.

i think it best serves as protection from heat. fat the fat towards the heat make sense. as for me? i did a few fat side up but i hated losing all that tasty bark. i trim all the fat off. inject and use a foil pan and cook at 275. i have yet to get a stall

lots of ways to cook and a lot of them come out great.

 

[bgray]

When I do my pork butts, I flip them halfway through the cook.

I also rotate, just in case there's one side of the cooker that is hotter than another side.

But I agree with dewetha.  Cook two, and see if there's a difference that you can detect.  Lots of ways to cook this, but not too many "wrong" ways.  They will generally turn out delicious regardless.

 

[bkemp00]

Se, I already have a 6 pounder ready to go. Should I try and cut in half around the bone?

 

[tucson bbq fan]

Only if you really want to experiment - otherwise, I'd pick one this time and try it and the other next time.

 

[flash]

I would say if you are using a vertical smoker, fat cap down. If more a horizontal, then up. I actually trim most of it off for my vertical.

 

[bkemp00]

I have a vertical. Why do you suggest that flash?

 

[bama bbq]

I trim all surface fat, rub it, and don't remember which side is up or down. There's more than enough internal fat and I don't eat the fat cap. I prefer the bark.