Yuck! The grill is full of fat!

[MikeRobinson]

After slow-cooking a pork shoulder yesterday, and then performing my usual post-grill-day cleaning ritual, I was rather astounded to find the (fortunately, removable ...) bottom of my grill to be almost completely filled with fat: probably, several cups of it mixed with ashes.  The grates and the bottom mesh were also coated, as were the (steel) insides of the (Akorn, Jr.) bowl.  When I put the roast to cool in the microwave overnight, I also noticed next morning that the glass plate in the bottom of it was coated with fat.  (Which my cats summarily enjoyed.)  It took a whole lot of scrubbing with soap-and-water to finally get rid of it all ... and then to clean my hands.

 

I've never encountered this before with any cut of meat.  Am I just "still learning?"

 

I took "cookbook advice" to bring this particular cut of meat to 195ºF before removing it and aluminum-foil "tenting" it to cool in the (cat-proof ...) microwave until morning.  This was advised to result in a "fork-tender" result for barbecue sandwiches – which by the way it most certainly is.  Is this where all the fat came from?

[keeperovdeflame]

Yes, Pork shoulder, crown roast, etc. all have a large amount of fat. Brisket is the same. Just use a drip pan. 

[King19]

Dogs love the drip pan

 

 

[SmallBBQr]

42 minutes ago, King19 said:

Dogs love the drip pan

 

 

 

eek....if you've ever seen a dog die of pancreatitis, not really a great idea.

[Boater]

45 minutes ago, SmallBBQr said:

pancreatitis

Seriously!  Second that.

[JeffieBoy]

Sounds more like a “Picnic Shoulder Roast” rather than a Shoulder or Butt.  The picnic (IIRC) is cut from the part of the arm just below the actual shoulder.  It is substantially fatter than the shoulder or butt.  They usually take longer times and hotter temperatures to render out the fat.  The result if cooked properly is similar, but there is an amazing amount of rendered fat.  If your drip pan is too small, your Akorn will pay for it!  Cleanup in aisle 6!  Sounds like what you experienced. 
 

I buy large, deep foil serving platters from the dollar store in bulk for drip pans that sit on the smokin’ stone.  If doing two cooks in fairly rapid succession, I leave it in place.  If not, then I toss it rather than letting it sour.  TBH I accidentally left the drip pan on the lower shelf of the tripod after this last cook.  A week later whilst shovelling the driveway I looked up and there was the neighbours dog in my garage licking up a feast…. As Tom Waits once said, “Never did like that dog”.  Actually, I shooshed him away.