Pork shoulder versus butt

[Sprocket]

Okay,

Is there alot of difference between a shoulder and a butt? I know they basically come from the same area. I have cooked a shoulder and am going to try a butt tomorrow. Is there alot of difference in the taste or quality? Is one better than the other?

[Zilla]

They are the same thing. The butt is the upper section of the front leg and the picnic is the lower section. Cook the same taste the same. I like butts cuz there is no skin to fool with.

[Woodman]

I like the shoulder because that skin is good craklins to munch on!

[TB]

The terms are confusing. Woodman was referring to the picnic which is covered in skin and is as Zilla said, the lower part of the shoulder. The upper part of the shoulder is usually called Boston Butt. So since shoulder shows up on two cuts of meat at the store, look for the presence of skin. With skin - picnic, without skin - butt.

As far as difference in taste, etc, both can be pulled and both are tasty. The picnic has a vein running through it, the skin, and a cylindrical bone. It is cheaper than the butt.

The Boston Butt has a blade-shaped bone, usually a fat cap layer, no skin and is more expensive. My preference is the Butt.

[txpgapro]

And there you have it! :wink:

[Bowhnter2]

Do you wanna have as much fat on the butt as you can, or do you not need as much fat like when your cooking a brisket?

[TB]

Do you wanna have as much fat on the butt as you can, or do you not need as much fat like when your cooking a brisket?
Not necessary. There's plenty of fat mixed throughout a butt. A thin layer on top is common. I just leave it on.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6899/bostonbuttscooked5gi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
TB

[HoosierTrooper]

If you have any Meijer stores in your area they have them on sale this week for $1 a pound.I picked up 2 that weighed in just under 13 lbs and 1 that weighed 12. When I was paying for them the cashier picked up the first one to scan it and said "wow these are big butts", paused and then started laughing.

[Bowhnter2]

Took me a while just to find them in any store. I found them in Albertsons. Sam's didn't have em.

Does anyone in TX have good stores to get em?

[bigwheel]

Well heck brudder you need to get hooked up with Big Dave..he just down the road at Allen. He tell you not who got the best butts..the cheapest picnics etc. Albertsons usually got the best selection in town. See here in Texas we do not often get whut the yankees from the Carolinas would call "shoulders"..but I guess from ease of packing they cut it at the knee joint of poor Wilbur's front legs and for some unknown reason they call the top half a Boston Butt..and the bottom half a picnic..like I think somebody else done point out so kindly excuse the redundancy all over again. Now this do not count such escoteric stuff as hocks and trotters..that lower down a bit more. Basic fact of life is the picnic is real hammy textured the butt aint. If you like ham buy the picnic..if you want to eat mushy overcooked pork (pulled or pushed pork as the yankees would call it) buy the Boston Butt and cook the snot out of it. Now Boston Butts can also bees sliced too..for them who knows how to do it right. By right meaning to bring it to about 183.5 iinternal and quit cooking it.

bigwheel


Took me a while just to find them in any store. I found them in Albertsons. Sam's didn't have em.

Does anyone in TX have good stores to get em?

[Paul Taylor]

Either one of those cuts are just fine by me. I can work with either one. Botton line is that I am looking for shreddable pork. That's just me.


Paul Taylor