Cut Boston Butt in Half Before Cooking

[archer2010]

I have seen advice to cut a large, 8 lb plus, butt in two before cooking. Maximizes surface area, more bark, faster, etc. Will someone demonstrate, or give a detailed description of how this is accomplished? I've just done it for a cook tomorrow, but my method will win no beauty contests. I simple turned the butts on edge and cut in half so that one became boneless and the other retained the bone. I'm sure this will work, but what about style points!

[Jerod Broussard]

I don't technically cut it 50-50. I pull it apart and cut that main membrane that divides it kinda 60-40. NO relation to WD-40.

That way I am not cutting through muscle.

And I've hung each section with one hook.

[archer2010]

Thanks, Jerod. That makes perfect sense but was not obvious to me at the time.

[Dewesq55]

I do what you did, archer. I cut on a diagonal so that each piece is sort of triangular and roughly 1/2 of the whole. FWIW, Huskee advocates cutting one that size into approximate quarters so each is about 2 lbs. Be careful, however, because the boneless piece will often cook faster than the one with the bone.

DEW

[Flavorsavor]

I've cut both ways; along the muscle membrane and just straight down the middle. I find when I cut between the muscles the piece with the bone is usually significantly smaller so it cooks faster, but if you pull it per temp, it doesn't matter. They also become irregularly shaped, which you can either tie up or hang as is. When I chopped it in half, they were more uniform in shape even after trimming, and I got to enjoy just cutting straight through a big hunk of meat. That may not register as a plus for anybody else, but I thought it was fun. All my recent cooks have been in the pit barrel, and I honestly didn't notice any difference in quality when doing it one way or the other since they all got pulled and chopped into the same big bowl. My humble recommendation would be just eye up each butt individually and do what feels right to you.

[Dewesq55]

I did what Huskee recommends. He's my go to advisor for all things relating to butts and breast.

[_John_]

Some bones seem to be different than others, I usually cut just past the bone. I detailed a cook a while back which shows it cut, it the cooked pic you can see the bone getting exposed.

[archer2010]

John, went back and read your excellent detailed post. Thanks much.

[Dr ROK]

I cut one in half a while back. I just cut short of the bone and ended up with two very unequal sized chunks of butt. Didn't seem to make much of a difference. Here's a link with some pics if you're interested. http://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/for...utts-and-beans

[archer2010]

Thanks, guys. Very helpful replies. Now to light the grill!