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Bone-in vs boneless for smoking: which actually tastes better? | Butchers - nhfree.com

Bone-in vs boneless for smoking: which actually tastes better?

I've been going back and forth on this for the last year. Smoked a 10 pound bone-in pork shoulder a few weeks ago and the meat was juicy and had that deep smoky flavor all the way through. Then last weekend I tried a boneless shoulder from the same supplier, same rub, same 8 hour smoke at 225. The boneless was easier to handle and sliced up cleaner but the flavor just wasn't as rich, especially near the center. My buddy swears boneless is more consistent because the heat hits even everywhere, but I think the bone adds something. Anyone else notice a big difference between the two, or am I just imagining it?

3 comments

3 Comments

tarajenkins5mo ago

@luna_clark38 makes a solid point about the bone acting like a heat sink. I read somewhere that the bone marrow actually releases flavor and collagen as it heats up, which seeps into the meat and gives it that extra richness you're missing with boneless. That probably explains why your boneless shoulder came out less tasty even with the same prep and cook time.

luna_clark385mo ago

Whoa hold up, I gotta jump in on that heat hitting even idea. The bone actually helps with heat distribution, not the other way around. Think about it, the bone acts like a heat sink, it soaks up heat and slowly releases it into the meat around it. That's why the meat right near the bone is always the most tender and flavorful, it gets cooked from both sides. So your buddy's got it backwards, the bone doesn't block heat, it keeps things more even in the thickest part.

evan2953mo ago

Man I gotta tell you, I went through this exact same thing last year! I did back to back shoulders like you and the bone-in one beat the boneless every time, especially on day two when I was shredding leftovers. @luna_clark38 hit the nail on the head about that bone acting like a heat sink, I swear the meat right around that bone has this almost jammy texture you just don't get otherwise. I tried everything with the boneless cuts too, like bumping the temp up and spritzing more often, but it always came out drier in the middle spots. So yeah, I'm with you, I think the bone actually does something flavor wise, not just for even cooking.