Hog Wild

Beef is king in Texas, but swine is fine all over the US. Pork is tender, sweet, and has a cult following in barbecue. If you look at barbecue logos you see way more with a pig then with anything else. Just like with beef, the cuts that are popular to smoke have a high amount of connective tissue. Shoulders and ribs have a lot of collagen. Other cuts are good on the smoker, but these are true to ‘cue. Here are some tips to make your pork everyone’s pick at the picnic.

The Butt

The Boston butt, blade roast, and pork butt are all names for the shoulder of the pig towards the back. This cut is a group of seven muscles with a cap of fat. Although you can purchase a boneless butt, you should buy it bone-in. The bone allows for a more even cooking experience. When handling this hunk of meat there is not a lot you need to do for prep. 

If the fat cap is over 3/8in thick, it needs to be trimmed. There are differing opinions on how much you should trim. In competitions I’ve seen pitmasters remove all of the fat to get the most smoke penetration. This also allows more direct coverage of any seasoning used. I've  also seen others not even trim at all. Despite what you may have heard, the fat cap doesn’t render down and penetrate the meat. Pork that is juicy is that way because of the intramuscular fat in the meat, not from chunks of fat like in the cap. 

The Rack

Pork ribs are split into two main parts; back ribs and spare ribs. Back ribs have a lot more curve, are leaner, and naturally less connective tissue than spare ribs. They also come from the back closer to the spine. Back ribs seem to be very popular in restaurants, but they have a tendency to dry out. Spare ribs all by themselves seem like a lot to handle. These can be trimmed down to a St. Louis style which removes some fat, gristle, and bones to make a more consumer friendly rib. Spares carry more meat between the bones along with more fat. Ribs all together need very little prep as well. 

There is a membrane on the back of the ribs that can be removed. It;s not necessary, but you should if you are only smoking 1-4 racks. This membrane is made of elastane and doesn’t cook out. It also gets in the way of smoke and seasoning. If you want to make your ribs ridiculous, take the extra time and remove the membrane.

Thank you so much for joining me. If you are trying to be the pride of the picnic, there is more to come about this and other topics. Feel free to email me at theseasonedsmoker@gmail.com and your question may be featured in my next post! 

To better barbecue,

The Seasoned Smoker