My "Pork Butt" turned Rib Roast, 3 racks of ribs, ABT's, BBQ Beans, and more (lots of q-view)

[smoke_chef]

So, my brother and I raise a few hogs each year for butchering. Usually do about 6. That feeds his family. My Family. Some kin folk, some in-laws and some out-laws. We've been using the same butcher for years and he's always done us a pretty solid job. BUT... this time, I think he must have been hitting the lightning water or something? I'm having a family gathering Sunday so I thawed out this "Pork Butt" not paying any attention to it when I put in the fridge to thaw. Now, I get it out to try out some new techniques I've been pondering and low and behold, I believe it's a rib roast???? Right? Take a look for yourself. Now, I'm not against smoking a rib roast. I just haven't ever done it. Plus, this crowd is wanting pulled pork. Wouldn't it be crazy to take this cut that far??? What can I expect for cooking times? Any advice or ideas... input of any kind will be appreciated.

 

[lownslow]

I'm with you on this one.  If its got ribs in it, it's a rib roast.

Pulled pork is great with the cuts that have a lot of connective tissue in them.   This is the cut from which "high on the hog" comes from.  It is the most tender and the least amount of connective tissue in it: the loin portion which is nearest the backbone.  Farther down the ribs will be chewier but still great to gnaw on.

I would suggest making up a salty brine with what ever spices you like and injecting, spice rub with salt, and tight wrap/vacuum seal for as long as you are willing to wait.  Couple days would be ideal.  Smoke at 250-275 until you get an internal of 140 or 155 if you don't like tasty tender moist pork.  For the record there are about 12 cases of trichnosis in  the US each year, mostly from game like bear. 

I think pulling is the wrong way to go with this one.  The loin will just get very dry and tough.

Post pics what ever you do  Love to see it.

 

[mythmaster]

Wow, a PORK Rib Roast -- I've never seen such a thing.  Don't you ever even dream about making pulled pork from it!

So, here are my instructions for you to smoke it properly -- JK!

Dutch and Pops can probably help you out most on this one.  Best of luck, and that just makes me want to raise some hogs even more.

 

[DanMcG]

I think it's a  shoulder roast with a couple riblets included. go for it.

 

[pops6927]

That's called a Rib End pork roast.  It comes from the loin next to the shoulder butt.  It is technically the Prime Rib Roast of the hog vs. the steer.  Here's the hog picture:

You can see that the Rib End roast/chops/CS ribs (Country Style Ribs) is adjacent to the Pork Butt but before the center roast.

You can use it as a roast, slice it into chops, thick chops, split it and slice it into CS ribs, bone it and roll it as a boneless roast, etc.  It is fattier on the pork shoulder butt end and can be pulled too.  Whatever you'd like to do with it and to what extent you can cut it with the tools you have.

What I'd do with it myself would be to roast it low'n'slow to 160° while smoking it and carve it as a roast, boning it out, serving the meat in slices and the bones to knaw on with a little meat left on them.    You can cut between the rib bones and dislocate the backbone vertebrae joints to separate them without having to have a saw.

 

[smoke_chef]

Thanks Pops for the diagram and advice. Also to lownslow, mythmaster, and Dan for your input. All of it helps. I guess I'm going to brine it today and smoke it tomorrow with the ribs. I'm also guessing this cut of meat will smoke about the same amount of time spares do? I'm excited to smoke something new but a little bummed because I had it all planned out for a pulled pork butt. The butt was getting smoked today. Then a batch of Dutch's Wicked Beans under three racks of ribs. Now, since I don't have a big enough smoker and from what I can tell, this rib roast won't re-heat as well as butt would with finishing sauce, the beans just have to go in the oven. I've done it that way before and they are still awesome... just not the same. I'll post the q-view and results tomorrow.

Thanks again all.   

 

[mythmaster]

Pops is THE MAN, and I wouldn't hesitate to follow his advice. 

If you had your heart set on some pulled pork, though, maybe it's not too late to go pick up a butt from your favorite butcher?  Or find it in your freezer and defrost it in the microwave?

Just a couple of ideas.  I hope that it all goes well for you, and I'm looking forward to seeing some Q-view. 

 

[mballi3011]

Now you know why Pop's has that "Trusted Authority" by his name. He knows stuff and you can take it to the bank to. I would smoke it whole (to maybe 140°-145° or so) if you can and call it the prime rib of the pig. If you can cut/ saw thur the bones. I'm sure you have a band saw you could pre-cut the slots on the roast so you can slice them after you smoke it. That's what I had my butcher do when I buy a bone in pork loin and that's a little farther down the pig. The cheap meat section.

 

[smoke_chef]

Okay... so I had a few people over last night and feed them. Here's everything rubbed up and ready for the smoker. Two racks of spares, a rack of baby backs, the trimmings from the spares and my rib roast. 

 

[smoke_chef]

The ribs all turned out great! The rib roast tasted good but was a pain the butt. I ended up just cutting it off the bone and slicing as thought I had done a loin by itselt. I don't think I would smoke another pork rib roast. At least not without having the bones prepaired in a way that the whole thing could be cut up with the bone still in. I've never done a prime rib. Wouldn't it be the same hassel? I need to do some checking on that b/c I love prime rib. Hmmm... any way. Here is the rest of the q-view.

 

[smoke_chef]

Oh... almost forgot the ABT's, and beans. Made some pretty good slaw and potato salad too. My Mom brought her famous awesome deviled eggs.

 

[smoke_chef]

My dad said his favorite part of the meal was the beans. (which are a slight variation of Dutch's wickeds) I'm glad that he liked the beans but I want the meat to be the star of the show.

 

[jamie lucchesi]

The problem is you've got more than just a rib roast there. Looks like you've got some of the shoulder with it judging from the bottom picture. In fact the whole thing is wrong end of the rib roast. You need the center cut for the very best results. I would pull the ribs out and cook them separate. Slow and low on the rest of it.

 

[jamie lucchesi]

The problem is you've got more than just a rib roast there. Looks like you've got some of the shoulder with it judging from the bottom picture. In fact the whole thing is wrong end of the rib roast. You need the center cut for the very best results. I would pull the ribs out and cook them separate. Slow and low on the rest of it.

 

[beer-b-q]

Looks Great...

 

[meateater]

It all looks great! 

 

[i is a moose]

I disagree. Center cut's great for grilling or oven roasting, but the roast he's flaunting's a nice essentially, rib-eye cut of pork, and has all the intramuscular fat and connective tissue that's perfect for smoking.

I just think the scope and intent for this cut was incorrect- rib roasts are best served as a loin roast with bones on it, and I'm skeptical the meat would ever be fall-off-the-bones tender on a roast, unless it was cooked down to carnitas.

Everything looks incredible, though, and when i saw that loin get sliced, I started drooling!

Keep up the good work.
 

The problem is you've got more than just a rib roast there. Looks like you've got some of the shoulder with it judging from the bottom picture. In fact the whole thing is wrong end of the rib roast. You need the center cut for the very best results. I would pull the ribs out and cook them separate. Slow and low on the rest of it.

 

[SmokinAl]

It all looks great from here!