I always thought trimming fat before smoking was better until a guy at a competition changed my mind

Ran into a pitmaster from Texas at a local comp in Des Moines last June. Told me to leave a 1/4 inch cap on my pork shoulders. Said the fat renders down and keeps the meat moist. I was skeptical because I hate chewy fat. Tried it on my next cook and the bark came out way better. Juiciest shoulder I've ever made. Anyone else had someone tell them something that goes against what you always thought was right?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyg607d ago

Last guy told me to put my rub on the night before and I thought he was nuts until I tried it.

grace_wright7d ago

Funny how that works. Tried the dry brine on a pork butt last month and the salt pulled the moisture out then soaked back in overnight. Bark was way better than my usual slap it on and go method. Biggest thing for me was getting the rub to actually stick to the meat without running off. Takes planning ahead though, can't be doing it last minute after work.