Pork Butt

Have one I'm doing for church tomorrow. It has a fat cap on one side, do I need to trim it or leave. I'm doing this on my wood smoker.

Dont trim it at all. Smoke it with the fat cap up until the fat splits. Usually takes 5-6 hours. When it splits, wrap it up tightly in foil and put it back on for another 4-5 hours. When that much time has passed you can open the foil and use some tongs to tug/twist on the bone and see if it will come out easily. If it does, its done. Pull it off and leave it wrapped up to rest for a bit before shredding. This is how Aaron Franklin does his, and it works great for me. Seasoning mix of kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

We cook ours just like a brisket, never trim the fat, flip it every hour, and spray it with 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 apple juice. After 4 hours of smoke, wrap it tight in foil and cook another 3-4 hours depending on how big the butt is. We cook at 250 degrees for 1 hour per pound. Good Luck!!

Why do you guys wrap in foil rather than stick it in a cooking bag? The juices retained in the cooking bag are perfect for a sauce. I simply mix them with Kraft original barbecue sauce, vinegar and cayenne.

Foil is messy for me. Cooking bags are clean and easy. I've stored mine in the cooking bags. I have a half a rack of baby back ribs frozen in a cooking bag.

Bill i agree. Once its wrapped you might as well put it in the oven.

Foil retains heat better.

Typically I cook fat side up on a smoker in wrapped for several hours. Then I will put in a pan and either finish in the oven or on the smoker. The pan catches just enough juice to mix in when you shred it. Don't go light on the seasoning.

If the fat cap is crazy thick I have trimmed it before.

'Twas a hit at the Tasting T at church. None left. Thanks all!!

wrap in brown butcher paper. better than aluminum.