I think everyone's wrong about trimming pork shoulder for pulled pork

I keep seeing videos where people take off almost all the fat cap before smoking. That's a huge mistake. The fat renders down and bastes the meat for hours, keeping it moist. I tried it the 'clean' way once on a 12 pound shoulder and it came out dry, even after 14 hours. My buddy in Kansas City who runs a barbecue spot told me to leave at least a quarter inch, and he's right. Now I just score it and leave it on. The bark gets better and the meat pulls easier. Has anyone else found that leaving more fat actually gives a better result?

3 comments

3 Comments

keith2642mo ago

So what do you do with all the fat that doesn't render, just leave it in the pulled meat?

margaretshah2mo ago

You mean besides making my cardiologist rich? I usually just mix it back in for flavor.

diana_black221mo ago

Oh I read somewhere that @margaretshah just mixes it back in, that's what I'd do too.