pat781•1mo ago

Debate: Should you bone out a pork shoulder before smoking or keep it whole?

Last weekend at the shop in Austin, I had a 12-pound shoulder that fell apart during boning, but a buddy swears boning first gives you more bark surface. Which side do you guys land on for big cuts like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

riverdavis1mo ago

Honestly, I had almost the same problem at home a few months back with a 10 pounder. Tried boning it out like my buddy said for more bark, and it did work for getting that crust, but I lost so much juice that the meat turned out a bit drier than I wanted. Ngl, now I keep it whole and just score the fat cap deep to get that extra surface without losing the moisture. Tbh, that 12 pound shoulder is a big gamble, so if you want it juicy and shreddable, I'd say keep it whole and just trim the fat a little instead of going all in on the bone.

rileygarcia1mo ago

Oh man, that scoring trick is smart actually. I remember one time I was real drunk and tried to do a butterflied brisket because some guy on YouTube swore by it for bark. Wound up with this sad, flat piece of meat that cooked way too fast and came out like shoe leather. My dog wouldn't even eat it. So yeah, I'm with you on keeping things intact. Bones are like nature's moisture holders or something.

samk771mo ago

I read somewhere that the collagen in bones breaks down and keeps the meat from drying out too fast.