Pork butt and a confused butcher

[PeteTheMeat]

Hi everyone,

I decided to have a shot at proper American BBQ when I was in America recently. So back I come thinking it'll be easy to identify and order, say, a pork butt to make pulled pork. How wrong can you be? Don't panic, this isn't yet another thread asking what a pork butt is. From these hallowed pages I've learned what I should be asking for. However, the guy on the end of the phone obviously wasn't listening because I've ended up with this:

The meat can be seen here. Apologies for not embedding, they're over 600 wide.

It's a spare rib chop joint, which I presume is kinda the shoulder nearest the loin. Apologies for my butchery of butchery terminology. What I'd like to know is what are the chances that this will pull properly? I've removed the bone and trimmed it, and it's still a pretty nice bit of meat, but I fear that I won't get that melt in the mouth quality. Any help would be appreciated.

All the best,

PeteTheMeat

[British BBQ Society]

what you have there is a called lots of different things but it has the butt in there. once you have trimmed out the bones it will resemble a butt from the states just need to trim one side. It will pull perfectly.

[keith157]

Hi everyone,

I decided to have a shot at proper American BBQ when I was in America recently. So back I come thinking it'll be easy to identify and order, say, a pork butt to make pulled pork. How wrong can you be? Don't panic, this isn't yet another thread asking what a pork butt is. From these hallowed pages I've learned what I should be asking for. However, the guy on the end of the phone obviously wasn't listening because I've ended up with this:

The meat can be seen here. Apologies for not embedding, they're over 600 wide.

It's a spare rib chop joint, which I presume is kinda the shoulder nearest the loin. Apologies for my butchery of butchery terminology. What I'd like to know is what are the chances that this will pull properly? I've removed the bone and trimmed it, and it's still a pretty nice bit of meat, but I fear that I won't get that melt in the mouth quality. Any help would be appreciated.

All the best,

PeteTheMeat

Hi Pete due to financial constraints (and who doesn't have those) I have for the last couple of Pulled Pork Performances used supermarket rolled "shoulder joints", as evidenced by the photo's I posted (sort of ). If you have the "spare rib" cut it has sufficient marbling of fat and connective tissue to ensure that it WILL melt in the mouth. That is if you do your part, I have always, for the last 30+ years cooked my pork Low n Slow, albeit open in the oven or even in roasting bags.
There is a world of difference in terminology between butchery techniques not just twixt us and them across the pond but even in the UK. I was a trainee butcher over 35 years ago for around 3 years, so am familier with terms, but only in the Greater London Area!!!
All that aside British Pork is now SLOWLY getting back to it's traditional roots slow grown with worthwhile fat layers, sorry to the Health Police Folks but as WE know that is where the flavour IS!!!!
As you have brought your joint from a butchers shop there is a greater likelihood that the pork will be from a recognised producer and taste great. There are now fewer Butchers shops around so they need the customers and rely heavily on word of mouth for new customers.
Sorry if this has wittered on but in the end the answer to your question is, IF it's British Pork, IF you cook it Low n Slow and IF you REST IT preferably in foil, and a thermal layer(towel or blanket) as mentioned on several guidelines on this forum you will end up with a "Proper Pulled Pork Product" (sorry always had a thing for alliteration) my only advice would be get more rolls, bread, tortillas or wraps then you think you will need because there will be little left over for the following day.

[PeteTheMeat]

Thanks for the clarification BBQS, and you keith.

I smoked my shoulder today and it has turned out fabulous. I'm struggling to tear myself away from the mound of meat to type this. I'll post pics when I do my blog update. As for my butcher, I ordered the meat over the phone from one guy, but when I picked it up it was from a different branch. When I mentioned that my intentions were to smoke the shoulder he lit up. He's a BBQ head and assured me that I just need to say the word to him and he'll get me whatever cut I need. A definite result. This has really given me the bug. I thought I'd be fed up checking the temperature every ten minutes but I actually enjoyed it. Was a nice crisp day in Glasgow so that helped. Thanks to the pair of you for your advice, it's appreciated.

PeteTheMeat

[PeteTheMeat]

Hello again,

Here are some pics of my attempt at pulled pork and some hot smoked salmon. For the full story, click on the link in my sig.









All the best,

PeteTheMeat

[keith157]

Hi Pete, I read your blog and sorry I have to call FOUL.
Are you trying to tell us, me in particular, that with ALL that wonderfully sauced Pulled Pork you ate ONLY ONE small roll, not even a Bap, full of aforementioned pork????? With a corn cob? You bagged, tagged and saved the rest of your first successfull cook? I'm sorry I don't do Morris Dancing so my leg doesn't have bells on it. You MUST have had more than ONE SMALL ROLL (OR I'm even more of a greedy carnivore than I thought )

[PeteTheMeat]

Haha, well keith the pictures don't tell the full story. Of course while I pulled I ate a little pork. As I waited for the corn to cook I ate a litttle pork. After I'd eaten the sandwich I ate a little pork. Unfortunately at that point I had to go out (manliest weekend ever: barbecue and going to see Motorhead). But the following day I resumed my porkathon: while making breakfast (out of the hot smoked salmon) I ate a little pork. For lunch I ate a little pork. For an afternoon snack I ate a pork sandwich. Before I left to play football I ate a little pork. And after dinner I ate a little pork. And after THAT I bagged it with a little sauce and put it in the freezer. Don't think it'll stay there very long

All the best,

PeteTheMeat

[clairbare]

Haha, well keith the pictures don't tell the full story. Of course while I pulled I ate a little pork. As I waited for the corn to cook I ate a litttle pork. After I'd eaten the sandwich I ate a little pork. Unfortunately at that point I had to go out (manliest weekend ever: barbecue and going to see Motorhead). But the following day I resumed my porkathon: while making breakfast (out of the hot smoked salmon) I ate a little pork. For lunch I ate a little pork. For an afternoon snack I ate a pork sandwich. Before I left to play football I ate a little pork. And after dinner I ate a little pork. And after THAT I bagged it with a little sauce and put it in the freezer. Don't think it'll stay there very long

All the best,

PeteTheMeat

LIKE

[Big_Fat_Dan]

I like this PeteTheMeat, he sounds like my sort of man, Meat, Motorhead and Football, what more do you need in life

I think i'm going to try to pop my pulled pork cherry this weekend, but it will have to be done in the oven as i have no smoker as yet.

[Smoky Joe]

Dan

If you have a 57cm Weber then you can do a good smoke in that as well. Just put all the coal to one side and then use Weber wood chunks instead of chips and then put the pork on the other side and not over the coals. Using the Weber convection this worked for me until I get a smoker.

Gav