The Butt FatCap?

[sliding_billy]

Maybe it is just out of habit, but I leave mine on and cook cap up.  I like to pick at the fatty stuff while I am pulling the pork. 

[deestafford]

Excellent discussion.  It appears that the majority believe the fat cap contributes nothing to the flavor of the meat but some think it aids in the butt not sticking to the racks.Eliminating all that fat will lessen the messiness of the inside of the smoker.  If this becomes the prevailing attitude a big "myth" has been shattered/debunked.  Am I correct?  Dee

[Smokin Don]

On another forum someone posted a link to an article that did a scientific study on fat cap up or down & it was proven that fat cap up the fat just ran down the sides of the meat. Since I went to fat cap down I never went back. I do all my meat, beef or pork, that has a fat cap; down. With a pork butt I like to leave about 1/4 inch fat on. That's my view and I am sticking with it!  Don

[Old Hickory]

I trim the fat cap if It is thick, then smoke with fat cap down.  Good results for me.

[squirtthecat]

I'm "down with the fat cap" as well.   

[sliding_billy]

Got a packer going on this weekend.  Maybe I'll experiment with cap down (or maybe not - I'd rather experiment with a butt).

[KyNola]

Put me in the "cut the fat cap off" camp.  I started removing the fat cap a few years back and never looked back.  As others have said, you get a better bark and you retain more the of the bark when pulling or chopping the meat as it doesn't slide off with the fat cap.  I also have very very little fat in the meat to remove which makes for a less greasy product. 

I also started using molasses for my Rub "glue".  It makes for a GREAT bark.

[nepas]

Put me in the "cut the fat cap pff" camp.  I started removing the fat cap a few years back and never looked back.  As others have said, you get a better bark and you retain more the of the bark when pulling or chopping the meat as it doesn't slide off with the fat cap.  I also have very very little fat in the met to remove which makes for a less greasy product. 

I also started using molasses for my Rub "glue".  It makes for a GREAT bark.

Same here.

[TMB]

I trim as much as I can and then score the rest crossways.  Since I use an infrared cooker moister is not a problem I just want to get rid of the fat ASAP.   Now if using my Bradley I go fat cap (trimmed) face down

[Tenpoint5]

I cut a deep cross hatch through the fat cap then let fat cap up and it blooms open like one of them onion thingys

[Jaxon]

So the axiom IS true...

Opinions ARE like armpits - we all have 'em.

If the fat is thick, I trim it off.  If there is just a thin fat cap, i just trim it off.

Uncle Dee-vious opened another can of worms.  Do you ever get the idea he like to stir things up a bit?