PORK BUTT FAT CAP HELP! YES OR NO?

[psycho_fluff]

I am doing my pork butt tonight for pulled pork & I need to know whether to remove the fat cap or not. This is coming fresh cut from the butchers with fat, skin, rind & all. Now do I remove some of it, all of it or none of it? (Surely I need to remove some of it or the rub wont penetrate?) Its making its way home now with hubby so I need to know as I want to get it prepped & the rub on it for a couple of hours before I put it in to cook overnight.

Also, I going to losely cover it with foil while Im in bed & remove in the mornning but do I start it off for an hour or so without (4kg) or not?

[acgold7]

The only place the rub will actually penetrate is where it actually touches the meat, so it doesn't matter how thick the fat is from that perspective. The fat is there for self-basting purposes. That being said, our butts come pre-trimmed with about 1/4" left on the top. You could leave up to 1/2" and score it like a ham in diamond patterns if you wish.

I'd remove the skin but cook it separately or, better yet, deep fry it.

On the foil thing, I'd actually start without the foil overnight and then put the foil on later in the morning, so you develop the bark during the first half of the cooking.

Can you post a photo as soon as you get it unwrapped?

[psycho_fluff]

Cheers m'dear! I'll do that then. No foil till after, 1/2-1/4" fat & score I'll either do pork scratchings with the skin or roast it whole tomo when the ribs are glazing. Friday is family dinner night so we're doing US cookin! My Dr Pepper ribs (everyone's fave), cornbread (one sons fave), corn casserole (other son & mum's fave), New Orleans slaw (both daughters fave) & the star of the show ~ pulled pork with BBQ sauce on the side. I'll post a picture of it all when I'm done tomo (before the hordes devour it!). EXCITED MUCH!

[igorm]

Sounds like a wonderful dinner!! Bon Apetit!

[rjbh20]

How are you cooking this? Oven? Grill? Pit? Smoker?

Agree with your plan, but no need to score the fat -- you're going to shred/pull it when done, right? Scoring is fine for hams that you want to glaze and use as showpieces.

[acgold7]

Yeah, you're probably right. I just advised scoring because I thought it might help some of the rub hit the meat on the fat side as well. But it'll all get mixed in anyway.

[acgold7]

Heading for the airport now. Should be there in about sixteen hours.

Seriously, sounds great. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[psycho_fluff]

lol, I'll keep an ear out for the doorbell, acgold7! Thanks guys, you lot on here are just so helpful. Dont know what Id do without you! In reply torjbh20, its n my oven. I ended up having to a bit of butchery as it came with the underside bones on too (bits of rib etc) so I deftly removed that have for stocks etc. Its smelling amazeballs already!

[Cameraman]

How did it turn out?