First Pork Butt Today

[KK787]

Quick Question

Fat side up or down?  Or doesn’t it matter?

Check out award winning pit master Harry Soo’s method for setting up his Weber Smokey Joe.  Works fantastic on the KK.  No cast iron pots needed.

 

Thanks

[jeffshoaf]

I found that the KK maintains moisture so well that having the fat cap up left the meat a bit greasier than I like so I go fat cap down.

I always went fat cap up in my pre-KK BGE days.

[johnnymnemonic]

Good advice. Yeah I do fat cap up on the BGE.  I will try it fat cap down on the KK once it gets here.  There's a lot of fat in the meat on a pork butt so it is very forgiving.  You're going to love the results on this one.

[5698k]

If you believe the science, the fat cap doesn’t help with moisture, because in the words of Meathead at amazing ribs, fat can’t swim upstream. I’ve always cooked fat down, but you’ll get just as many say the opposite.


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[KK787]

Well I went fat cap down so I guessed right!!
 

What temps and vent openings on the KK do you like?

 

I started at 275 with a Fireboard 2 controller and a Viper fan.  I think my initial fire was just a tad big but not bad.  I controlled the temp with the vent about at 1/8 of a turn open.  Would 225-250 and a larger vent opening be more beneficial?  Thanks for all of your help!

 

 

 

 

[5698k]

A bigger vent opening will result in a higher cook temperature. When using a controller, you want to keep the vent almost completely closed, and make the fan work to maintain temperature. When not using a controller, you still have the vents close to closed or you’ll still have higher temperatures.


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[johnnymnemonic]

22 hours ago, 5698k said:

If you believe the science, the fat cap doesn’t help with moisture, because in the words of Meathead at amazing ribs, fat can’t swim upstream. I’ve always cooked fat down, but you’ll get just as many say the opposite.
 

I agree with this.  If you observe the way that fat renders out of a piece of meat then you'll also observe that most of the fat from the cap has to basically roll right off and into your drip pan.  Whether it is on the top or the bottom makes little difference.  Thinking about it from experience - where do you want bark?  On the meat itself, not on the biggest piece of fat, so - it makes a lot of sense to do it fat cap down.  Most of your bark is going to be on the top and sides of the meat, not on the part that is on the grate.

This weekend I did a pork butt on my BGE that had a lot of the fat cap trimmed, so while I did it fat cap up, there really wasn't much of one there.  It was one of the best "hot and fast" butts I have ever done.  Low and slow is better / more moist, but you can get pretty OK pork butt going hot and fast.

I don't have any gadgets with the egg.  No fan, no regulator, no probe.  I started this one about 9:30 AM for a 6:30 dinner.  The egg was about 270-280 dome temp so on the grate was probably something like 325.  Didn't wrap it through the stall. In the last 4 hours at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30, I sprayed it with ACV.  Took it off around 195 degrees at about 5:30PM and let it rest for an hour before pulling at 6:30. 

Was about the best pork butt I've ever gotten in 7 hrs.  

Some people who are into BBQ get super obsessed with super consistent grill temperatures, etc.  With pork butt I assert that it doesn't matter. I have made a lot of great pork butt on my green egg without any fan/regulator and without a probe.  I'm in triple digits on pork butts on my BGE - just me, the grill, and an instant read thermometer.  Many temperature fluctuations that would be "unacceptable" to some enthusiasts.  Just let it go long enough and rest it and it will be good.  I've only had one that I didn't like.  It was too smoky and I overdid it.  It has been a while.  I think on this one I let it go overnight and woke up to a grill that had gotten too hot.

I'm excited about my KK getting here b/c it will be even easier to regulate temperature without any gadgets.  But I probably will also invest in some gadgets.  But you don't need anything but you and your KK and an instant read thermometer to make a good pork butt.  Pork butt is very, very forgiving.   (I cannot claim all the credit for my product).

Edited October 19, 2021 by johnnymnemonic

[johnnymnemonic]

20 hours ago, KK787 said:

I started at 275 with a Fireboard 2 controller and a Viper fan.  I think my initial fire was just a tad big but not bad.  I controlled the temp with the vent about at 1/8 of a turn open.  Would 225-250 and a larger vent opening be more beneficial?  Thanks for all of your help!

sounds like you did it right.  write down what you do each time and that will help you remember what made your best one the best one and just keep cooking.

[KK787]

Thanks for the tip!  I talked to Dennis yesterday and he gave me some excellent advice.  
 

I am going to try the foil pouch and chunk smoking method next time.  Also, Dennis recommended that I close the damper on my fan to 25% open because the fire still vents through the fan while it is off andhe is exactly spot on.  My fire kept wanting to climb and this explains why.  

[tony b]

4 hours ago, KK787 said:

Also, Dennis recommended that I close the damper on my fan to 25% open because the fire still vents through the fan while it is off andhe is exactly spot on.  My fire kept wanting to climb and this explains why.  

Especially on a windy day! You get "vacuum drag" across the top vent, which will pull excess air into the KK even when the fan is not running. I never have my Guru fan output damper more than 1/2 open. 

[KK787]

Thanks for the info - really appreciate !