Pork shoulder: spritz, mop, or neither?

[Smilner]

I just read the article Mythbusting: basting, mopping and spritzing.
I’m still unsure on if I should or shouldn’t. What should I do or don’t do?

[Jerod Broussard]

I never do but some folks always do. I score the fat cap and run fat cap up. Clear as mud??

[Finster]

I've usually been a remove most of the fat cap guy, but have recently seen a couple of videos where the fat cap was scored. Planning to try it on my next shoulder just as an experiment

[Black99vette]

I don't. And the same as Jerod fat cap up.

[Draznnl]

I never have in the past, but I'm planning to mop my next one just to see if it improves anything. Helpful?

[DavidNorcross]

I do not. However, I have braised in a covered pan after the stall at around 165 or 170.

[captainlee]

I used to because that's what so many do. I stopped spritzing and moping a few years ago and have never looked back. Actually i gave up injecting too. Nice rubs, low temps and let the meat speak for itself.

[Mosca]

I gave up on injecting. I still spray, it’s fun and doesn’t hurt anything, and my results are what I want them to be so why change.

[scottranda]

Maybe a spritz (if I’m bored), maybe not (if I’m sleeping)

[marshall]

I could never tell the difference , so I never do anymore and the end product is what I want

[DaveD]

I've never mopped or basted, but I'll spritz with a 50/50 mix of water & vinegar a couple of times until the bark is set the way I want it, then let it go from there. I've wrapped half the time thus far -- but note, my experience is far less than others here, been doing this only since last July For pork butt I'm only at n=4

[fzxdoc]

No spritz, no mop, no injection for me and my pork butts. They always turn out the way we like them, so no need to complicate things, I'm thinking.

Kathryn

[RonB]

Buy a decent sized butt and cut it in half. Prepare and cook both hunks the same way but spritz or mop one hunk. Then compare when finished. That will give the the answer that works for you.

[bbqLuv]

I tried that but the bone got in the way.

[RonB]

2bbqLuv - this is where a saw of some sort is your friend. Cut the bone in half too.

[DTro]

If you have a Costco near, try one of their boneless butts for the experiment.

[DTro]

I used to mop with a 30/30/30 -ACV, Beer, h2o- that contained finely diced jalapeño and onion, among other things. Now I spritz with a 50/50. The spritz is easier prep and clean-up. Thinking back, I believe my old ways produced a more flavorful butt. Hmm, I must try again.

[Bkhuna]

When I hear "shoulder" I think of Pernil, and I want every inch of the skin to be shatteringly crisp so I don't do anything that will make the skin soggy. I've tried spritzing butts for bbq in the past and couldn't see any difference so I don't mop\spritz those either.

[tenphases]

I know the shoulder is the butt, but the terminolgy go me as well. Although they are similar, I cook a butt and a pernil in very different ways

[Bkhuna]

The shoulder is one of the primal cuts. The butt is but one part of a shoulder.

[bbqLuv]

Smilner Now look here. You had to ask. I was perfectly happy with spritzing with 50/50 cider vinegar, and apple juice. So now after reading the responses to your question, I have to try on spritzing.

That is going on my to-do list.

[Mosca]

I use the same.

[Attjack]

When I do it I like to mop with ACV mixed with the rub I'm using