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-   -   Picnic Shoulder vs Boston Butt (https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109298)

MeatyOakerSmoker 06-21-2011 04:14 PM

Picnic Shoulder vs Boston Butt
 
Hello

I've always used "pork shoulder" aka "pork butt", "Boston butt", or whatever the heck you want to call it, for making my pulled pork. It's the only should cut I've really ever used mainly because I'm not even sure how people cook picnic shoulder.

I got the anatomy thing down but I was wondering what people's cooking experiences are with the two and what they use for what recipes.

Hopefully this isn't against the forum bylaws but this link might help kickoff the discussion:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/porkbuttselect.html

Thanks
Sam

Lake Dogs 06-21-2011 04:24 PM

Welcome. Simply, cook them exactly the same. Picnics will render a little less meat by weight than a butt. They're both part of the "whole shoulder"; I tend to cook them still attached. Same / same.

deguerre 06-21-2011 04:28 PM

I trim off the skin (make some chicarones) of the picnic prior to smoking otherwise it's the same.

The_Kapn 06-21-2011 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lake Dogs (Post 1681615)
Welcome. Simply, cook them exactly the same. Picnics will render a little less meat by weight than a butt. They're both part of the "whole shoulder"; I tend to cook them still attached. Same / same.

Right on.

At home, I like to cook picnics rather than butts.

Could be my imagination, but the picnic seems a bit "sweeter" and has a different texture than the butt portion.
Not better, just different and a nice change up from all the comp butts we cook.

TIM

kingsnob 06-21-2011 04:32 PM

I would agree that the shoulder and the picnic will both yield great pulled pork. I have used both, and done them both exactly the same way, and ended up with pork that I can't tell apart.

The only difference that I know of is the picnic, will ussually yeild slightly less meat, since there is more bone, and usually some skin. The good part, is if done right the skin is farking great, just great strips of greasy, fatty, flavorfull goodness.:-D

John

Johnny_Crunch 06-21-2011 04:33 PM

I have used them both and don't trim either. Both work just fine for pulled pork.

Lake Dogs 06-21-2011 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Kapn (Post 1681623)
Right on.

At home, I like to cook picnics rather than butts.

Could be my imagination, but the picnic seems a bit "sweeter" and has a different texture than the butt portion.
Not better, just different and a nice change up from all the comp butts we cook.

TIM

It definitely has a slightly different texture to most of the meat, and it does have (perhaps just my imagination) a slightly different taste, perhaps it's sweeter...

I prefer the butts, but that's nothing against the picnic portions... It's ALL good!!!

jestridge 06-21-2011 07:02 PM

I don't cook them very often , but the flavor is good and they look pretty

BBQ Bros 01-01-2012 03:02 PM

A buddy brought over a picnic (upper portion, no skin) for a New Year's Eve party last night and I swear it had more flavor than a butt. It also seemed to have a slightly different texture than pulled pork from a butt: it was a little bit more greasy, but that wasn't a bad thing... When comparing butts and picnics, generally speaking, is one more expensive than the other?

SirPorkaLot 01-01-2012 03:08 PM

I buy and cook what is on sale.

I prefer picnics. There is more meat/bone ratio which equals sweeter meat.

MeatyOakerSmoker 01-01-2012 03:43 PM

At least around me butts are more expense. I always see picnics on sale but never shoulders. I've never cooked a picnic but I think I'm going to try.

SirPorkaLot 01-01-2012 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IbrahimSS (Post 1899102)
At least around me butts are more expense. I always see picnics on sale but never shoulders. I've never cooked a picnic but I think I'm going to try.

Do it. You won't be disappointed.

Let us know how it turns out. :thumb:

txschutte 01-01-2012 03:51 PM

I prefer the sweeter meat on a shoulder/picnic rather than a butt. However, when cooking for the masses, I use the butt for the higher yields of edible meat.

NorthwestBBQ 01-01-2012 04:42 PM

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_l.../pork_cuts.jpg

El Ropo 01-01-2012 05:07 PM

One of my best picnics ever!

Trimmed and rubbed:

http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picnic0021.jpg

Off the ECB Gourmet:

http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picnic0022.jpg

Pulled:

http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picnic0023.jpg

That was some awesome tasting PP.


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