Cooking that pork butt in two halves

[WillieMac]

Aiming for 2 meals in one by splitting an 8 lb. pork shoulder in two (half is for chili verde w/smoked pork, half to be pulled and frozen in meal-sized portions). The first half cooks to 120 internal (it'll simmer for 3 1/2 more hours in the chili); I'll leave the second half on to get to the normal 203ish. Anyone slow-cooked a butt that's been halved like this? Since it's much less bulk, will I be in danger of getting to temp with the second half with a less than desirable result? Btw, cooking on the SnSDK. Lump coal.

[RonB]

You should be fine. Not only does it cook faster, you will have more bark.

[WillieMac]

True dat. Excellent!

[mrteddyprincess]

I have divided pork shoulders into two parts to get more bark. The aggravating thing I found was that it did not significantly reduce the cook time. Also, what you describe sounds fine, but pork shoulder cooked to fall apart tender and pulled is a great thing to add to chili without having to finish cooking it in the chili. In other words, you can just add fully cooked pulled/chopped pork to chili and it's wonderful.

[WillieMac]

No doubt you're right. The recipe I'm trying calls for sauteing the undercooked and cubed pork in bacon grease. That sounds too good not to try it at least once. https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...s-chili-verde/

[fzxdoc]

Just saute everything else in bacon grease, WillieMac . Or fry up a couple pieces of bacon when starting the chili, if you want the fond. You might want to give that a try the next time you have some leftover PP, just to see if you can tell the difference. If you happen to do that in the future, let us know.

Kathryn

[texastweeter]

Do your butt has a crack? Sorry couldn't help myself

[bbqLuv]

Is that the asphalt?

[HawkerXP]

Always cut my large butts in half. As stated, doesn't really shorten cook.

[bbqLuv]

Cut the butt in two vertically or horizontally?
Do you leave the bone in?
Which half pairs best with PBR? This really is the question.

[HawkerXP]

Yes.
Yes.
Either.

bbqLuv

[CHNeal]

The problem I see with cutting apart a butt is it needs to be deboned. My tests over the decades shows a much better finished product cooking bone in real slow. If its just undercooked cubed pork you need how about the good end of a pork loin?

[WillieMac]

Will consider. Thanks!

[HawkerXP]

I'm another bone in when cut in half.

[jfmorris]

If it’s bone in, it may be harder to split into two equal halves than to think. In many of mine the bone goes more than halfway through the length of the butt.

No issues with your plan aside from that. Cooking time for a 4 pound hunk and an 8 pound hunk may be similar.

[bbqLuv]

The bone is for the Pullout doneness test. It makes life so much easier.

[Huskee]

I've never cooked them to different levels, but I always split mine in half and cook 3,4,5 pounders. More surface area for more smoke & more seasoning & more bark = more better.

[WillieMac]

You were right, mrteddyprincess and jfmorris. I did split it - it had been in the freezer for months. And, CHNeal, I'd forgotten that the butcher deboned it for me. So it was an easy split, and a bit of string tied things up nicely. The first half got to 125 in 2 hours; it took 12 hours, 20 minutes to get the other half to 203. The chili verde was fabulous; the pulled pork was spot on. Will post in Show Us.