amy858•5d ago

Had a guy ask me to "trim the fat" on his pork shoulder until it was basically just meat

2 comments

2 Comments

Oh man, I've been there. Last summer a buddy asked me to trim his pork shoulder for a big cookout and he literally meant just the silver skin and any gnarly hard fat chunks. I ended up leaving a thin layer because that's where a lot of the flavor and moisture comes from during a long smoke. He was kinda annoyed at first but after 8 hours in the smoker, that little bit of fat rendered down and made the meat super tender. So I'd say your gut feeling is right, just hit the thick cap and leave a light layer for the cook. Your mileage may vary depending on how you're cooking it though.

susan_wells4d ago

Wait, did he actually want it trimmed down to just the muscle fibers? I had a guy once ask me the same thing and I ended up feeling like a butcher at a fat-free diet convention. I swear the next week he came in and ordered a salad with no dressing, so that tracks. I get that not everyone wants a big cap of fat, but you gotta leave some for the cooking process or it's just a dry, sad piece of meat.