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the first time I did step 5 of G. Wiviott's WSM cooks I found 2 bone in pork shoulders with no fat cap.
Lately I have been looking and see only the bone in Boston Butt cut which has a fat cap on it.
Are the 2 the same except for the fat cap?
If I do use the Boston Butt will the cook go the same?
Should they go fat cap down or up?
Should I still flip and rotate?

Thanks guys!

Check out this post. Prior to my step 5, I had butt/shoulder questions as well.

Generally, I prefer a cut with a good fat cap. You can also look at the introductory photo for dinner number 5 Gary used on this page. It looks like that may be a Boston butt.

As far as when/whether you should flip and/or rotate, follow the instructions Gary provides on that same page linked above.

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Hi there I go fat side down to give a bit of protection in case you have a small temp spike in the smoker. I also don't flip, I'll rotate...but not flip.

Best smokin' website I've found is smoking meat forums. Scroll down to the "pork" forum and check out the stickies and other posts. Happy smokin'!

dan

Hi,



Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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did my first pork shoulder yesterday. it turned out delicious; i kinda followed steven raichlen's recipe for mustard south carolina style from bbq usa book. i have a couple of questions:
1. generally how much charcoal in the chimney and how much in the kettle for a cook like this? i did 'plenty' in both categories and then ended up removing some because it looked like too much. i am using the 2 zone strategy and basicly set up as g wiv specifies for kettles in the low and slow. do any of you use bricks in the kettle to ensure placement of coals? this seems a bit ocd 2 do . . .
2. how long do you let the rub take? it seemed from the recipe that one puts the rub on and shortly thereafter the meat hits the grill. this led to a wonderful tasting crust, but the insides was bland. my gurl put sauce all on it when she ate. she say it was dry. but even if you give a rub alot of time to 'sink in' there is no way to flavor the entire cut with only a rub, right?
let me in on yr pork shoulder strategies, pro favor.
also binko i love yr jerk recipe, and use it alot recently

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Who is Binko, and let me in on this jerk recipe, please?

Thanks! I'm glad it works well for you--However, I just noticed I overstated the amount of sugar there: it should be 1/4 cup, not 1/2 cup, but if it tastes fine, stick with it. Which reminds me, I have a ton of Scotch bonnets and habaneros from the backyard that need to be picked. I see some jerk-paste making time in the future. Oh, and if you haven't tried it, I've recently started using it on ribs with much success, too.

turns out i didn't have enough sugar when i made it: happy accidents!

but enough with the jerk derail here is somebody going to field my query?

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Here's my 2 cents:

1. For a pork butt I build a fire on one side of my Brinkmann grill with hickory chunks and lump charcoal. I put the butt on a grate on the opposite side. Using a thermometer tells me to move the butt closer or farther from the coals. Then I add coals later via the firedoor on the side of the box. Or, I use my water smoker, which more readily maintains a lower temp.

2. When I do use a rub I put it on the night before, wrap it up in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. But I would not do this if there is acid in the rub.

To be honest, with a rub for something as big as a pork shoulder, I really don't notice any difference between putting it on the night before and right before putting it on the smoker. These days, I just put it on about 30 minutes before putting it on the smoker. As you surmised, really, how far into the meat can a dry rub penetrate on such a big piece of meat anyway? Plus I find it seems to crisp up a little better when put on at the last minute. To introduce some of the flavor into the meat, what I personally do is sprinkle a bit more of the rub (or even plain salt) onto the pork when I pull it or chop it.

i would agree with binko
dont see a big diff.

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philw bbq cbj for kcbs &M.I.M. carolina pit masters

same here Phil..i dont apply rub the night before on anything nowadays..usually rub then let it sit for the amount of time it takes to get the Backwoods to temps..45 min or so

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alright thanks for the input dudes

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