First time trimming the butt into muscle groups to create more bark and surfaces to season. Turned out great in the Weber Kettle.

Saturday, October 22, 2016. Temperature starts in high 60s and in high 70s at the end. Humidity is in 39% as the first cool front blew through Thursday.

6:00 AM – Trimmed an 8.3 lb pork shoulder to expose the Money Muscle, Horn and center for pulled pork as learned from here. Shook on evenly Stubbs Hot Pork Rub on all surfaces and put back into refer in bowl under plastic wrap.

First Competition Trim

11:00 – Put trimmed butt into smoked in the Weber Kettle with the SnS and my new Drip ‘N Griddle pan by Adrenaline Barbecue Co. Used Kingsford Blue Bag with pecan chunks from the farm. Initial temp with Thermoworks air probe–mounted with the grate clip between the meat and kettle opposite the fire–was 170 so opened up upper and lower vent to get it up. By 11:15 temp is in the 220s.

1:00 – Temp has been steady around 230. Basted with ACV+water about 2:1 as looks dry. Coals in SnS are about 1/2 burned.

3:30 – Pulled it with an IT of 133-138 that was surprisingly even despite the widely different sizes of the connected pieces. Wrapped in foil on a 1/4 sheet pan, poured the drippings over it and put  into convection over set to 300.

After time in oven

6:30 – IT was around 205-215 and falling apart. The Money Muscle tasted good but collapsed into pieces. The larger rubbed and smoked surface area was a great addition to the finished product. There was still plenty of drippings caught in an aluminum pan but there was not globs of cooked fat to throw away.

NEXT TIME – Trim the butt as done here and set the temp probe before wrapping to be sure it is position to give a good reading so it is overcooked.