Hit 150 pork shoulders on my smoker and only now realized Ive been trimming wrong the whole time

Counted up my logs from the past 3 years and that number surprised me, but what got me was finally watching an old timer at a BBQ competition show me how leaving a quarter inch of fat cap actually helps the bark set instead of fighting it, anyone else have a basic skill they did backwards for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_johnson313d ago

Kept slicing off the whole fat cap for years cause I thought it was just extra grease that would make the meat soggy. Turns out I was basically making my bark fight against itself instead of letting it set up on that thin layer. Watched a YouTube video from a guy who competes in Texas and he said that quarter inch is basically your flavor armor against drying out on long cooks. Changed my whole method and now I get that deep black crust instead of the brittle flakey stuff I used to chase. Honestly makes me wonder how many basic bbq rules I still got backwards without knowing it.

umar593d ago

Saw a guy on a Facebook group swear by leaving the membrane on ribs for extra moisture. Tried it once and ended up with rubbery meat you could bounce off the floor. Switched back to peeling it off and never looked back. Sometimes the old ways are old for a reason.