Old timer told me to stop trimming the fat cap off pork shoulders

I used to always trim the fat cap down to almost nothing before smoking pork shoulders. Kept hearing about bark formation and wanted more smoke coverage. Then a retired butcher at the shop I use for catering orders told me to leave at least a quarter inch on there. Said the fat renders down and keeps the meat moist through the whole cook. Tried it on a 10 pound shoulder last weekend and the difference was night and day. Anyone else get advice from an old school guy that changed their whole process?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren8061mo ago

Does anyone else think this "insurance policy" idea gets taken a little too far? I respect that old butcher's advice, but I've actually had better results going the other way. I leave maybe an eighth of an inch on there just to keep the surface from drying out completely. The fat cap doesn't really penetrate the meat like people claim, it mostly just renders off and drips away. I've found that a thinner cap lets smoke hit the meat better and the bark sets up way firmer. Plus if you're wrapping at the stall, the moisture from the wrap does more for tenderness than a thick fat layer ever will.

grant.richard1mo ago

Well hang on, isn't everyone forgetting about cook time here? A thick cap insulates the meat so it takes way longer to get through the stall, and sometimes you end up overcooking the outside just trying to get the inside up to temp. I'd rather shave it thin and wrap early to control the heat than let that thick layer mess with my timing.

wesleyburns1mo ago

...and here I was thinking I was being smart by shaving that fat cap down like a Thanksgiving turkey. Man, I feel stupid now. I did the same thing for years, wanted that perfect bark all over, and ended up with dry shoulders more often than not. Then I talked to this old guy at a BBQ competition who just laughed and said "son, that fat ain't your enemy, it's your insurance policy." Left a half inch on my last cook and it was like I suddenly remembered how to smoke meat. I guess some lessons you just gotta learn the hard way, or in my case, learn it after twenty dry shoulders.