Had an old timer tell me to stop trimming fat too early on pork shoulders

I was breaking down a 12-pound pork shoulder last week and trimmed all the fat off before pulling it apart. This retired guy from the shop next door told me I was tossing flavor and moisture, so I left the fat cap on a second shoulder and cooked it. Got way better texture and taste, has anyone else found that leaving fat on till the end really changes things?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugo_craig8d ago

@wendygrant nailed it, fat between the muscles is where the magic's at. I used to trim like I was prepping for a diet I'd never stick to, now I leave it all and the bark actually sets better since the fat renders out nicely instead of just burning off.

julia_jones728d ago

Right? Old dude was basically like "you're out here making jerky, son" and honestly he wasn't wrong. I did the same thing with a brisket once, trimmed it down to like nothing thinking I was being smart, and ended up with something that tasted more like a shoe than smoked meat. That fat between the muscles is literally the cheat code, it just melts into everything instead of sitting there being gross. Now I leave it all and pull it off right before serving, like a fat tax I pay for better flavor.

wendygrant8d ago

Well now, that's a good lesson to learn the hard way isn't it? I'd be curious about one thing though - did you leave all the fat on or just the cap? I've found that the thick fat between the muscles matters too, not just the top layer. When I leave it all on and pull after resting, that fat melts right into the meat instead of sitting on top. What about the bark on the outside, did having that cap on change how the crust turned out on the second shoulder?