Ham vs Butt

[K80Shooter]

Lets hear it guy's. Do you prefer your q made with the ham or a butt?

For me I prefer a butt, it just taste's better to me.

 

[Carolina gamecock]

I like big butts and I can not lie...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[thirdeye]

The leg has a different amount of fat and muscle arrangement than the shoulder does..... I prefer the shoulder. And if I had to choose between the butt end and the picnic end, the butt would win. That said if I was cooking 3 items, I would make it two butts and one picnic.... unless I could get a whole shoulder, then I would take that.

You never want to see me in a Baskin Robbins store, I drive 'em crazy, then settle for chocolate. Heheheee.

 

[Gnaws on Pigs]

Butt/shoulder is my favorite, but nothing wrong with ham either, especially from a young hog. A hog cooked whole and everything pulled and mixed together is mighty hard to beat.

 

[K80Shooter]

Butt/shoulder is my favorite, but nothing wrong with ham either, especially from a young hog. A hog cooked whole and everything pulled and mixed together is mighty hard to beat.

I agree, I have cooked several whole hogs and they are excellent!

73 views so far and 3 replies Come on guy's, don't be afraid to voice your opinion. Just trying to get a general idea of what most folks like.

 

[plakers]

I like butts over picnics but have never done fresh ham, but have been wanting to.

I have also done many more butts. At least monthly I do a double and freeze the second for later(things like Butt Gnarley soup, or enchiladas or??)

I was looking into a whole hog(butchered) and was wondering the same thing.

 

[Mattmo]

I agree, I have cooked several whole hogs and they are excellent!

73 views so far and 3 replies Come on guy's, don't be afraid to voice your opinion. Just trying to get a general idea of what most folks like.

We had a hog butchered up a few months ago...I left some of the hams fresh instead of cured. I tried to do pulled pork with one (these were 4-5) pounds, and it wasn't easy to pull. I don't think there was very much fat in it....I'm not a pro, you just said to not be afraid to voice my opinion lol I have cooked several butts and never had trouble with them pulling like that. Maybe it was the size of the ham???

 

[chrisjen]

I also have been curious about smoking a fresh ham?

 

[thompson238]

I prefer the shoulder myself!

Sent from my DROID RAZR

 

[K80Shooter]

We had a hog butchered up a few months ago...I left some of the hams fresh instead of cured. I tried to do pulled pork with one (these were 4-5) pounds, and it wasn't easy to pull. I don't think there was very much fat in it....I'm not a pro, you just said to not be afraid to voice my opinion lol I have cooked several butts and never had trouble with them pulling like that. Maybe it was the size of the ham???

4-5 lbs is aweful small for a ham. No there's not a lot of fat in a ham which is why I think it takes a little more practice/skill to cook one. They are not as forgiving as a butt or shoulder but tastes good.

 

[Randbo]

I have cooked both and I prefer the butt. 7 to 8 pounds is perfect.

 

[Mattmo]

4-5 lbs is aweful small for a ham. No there's not a lot of fat in a ham which is why I think it takes a little more practice/skill to cook one. They are not as forgiving as a butt or shoulder but tastes good.

Yes it is small. It is the first hog we've ever butchered and it was a mistake getting them packaged that small... We've been using them for crock pot roast etc.

 

[martyleach]

Allright so I am certainly not the expert here but I sure am interested. The shoulder has a really nice(high) fat content and hams (picnics?) don't. I have never cooked a ham, but it would seem to me that it needs to be cooked quite differently than a shoulder. Advice??

 

[MS2SB]

I've cured my own ham but never done one "fresh". Seems to me that if you're looking for a sliced product then a ham would be hard to beat. If you want pulled you've got to go with the butt. Not nearly enough fat and connective tissue in a ham for it to pull properly without being dry.

 

[CarolinaQue]

I'm not sure it's fair to even compare the 2. Ham's have a much lower fat to meat ration and the muscle groups run very different and have much less connective tissue than a butt. I only cook hams to slicing temp unless it's a whole hog cook, and then they're done when the butts are done. As far as preference...whole shoulder over a butt. But I can't get whole shoulders where I live right now, so when I want the taste and texture of the whole shoulder, I have to cook a butt and a picnic and mix after they're done.

 

[markdtn]

I like the Butt better.

Every year our company gives us a big ham (~20 lb) for Christmas. I am not much of a ham guy so I sometimes give it away to a family at Church, but one of the guys here smoked his the next day and brought it in to share. It was really good, so this weekend I thought I would try mine. I got it cooked in about 9 hours to 145 internal. I used hickory and charcoal. It was good, but not as good as his. I must learn what he did.

 

[Lake Dogs]

I cook (BBQ) hams, picnics, butts, and whole shoulders. My preference in eating is the whole shoulder. I do really like the ham (as said above). Where I'll generally cook the shoulder into the low 200's, I like/prefer the hams more in the mid 190's; still plenty pullable but not overcooked and dry. That's a big piece of it, keeping the ham moist. I do inject, and I do use foil. Frankly, I've been back and forth a few times over the years as to preference. I think I get burnt out on one and have gone to the other. Matter of fact, think I'll do a hog (but in pieces) cook this summer. I like the idea; 2 whole 22# shoulders, 2 whole 22# fresh hams, perhaps a case of babybacks...

 

[K80Shooter]

I cook (BBQ) hams, picnics, butts, and whole shoulders. My preference in eating is the whole shoulder. I do really like the ham (as said above). Where I'll generally cook the shoulder into the low 200's, I like/prefer the hams more in the mid 190's; still plenty pullable but not overcooked and dry. That's a big piece of it, keeping the ham moist. I do inject, and I do use foil. Frankly, I've been back and forth a few times over the years as to preference. I think I get burnt out on one and have gone to the other. Matter of fact, think I'll do a hog (but in pieces) cook this summer. I like the idea; 2 whole 22# shoulders, 2 whole 22# fresh hams, perhaps a case of babybacks...

I agree that a ham is pullable in the 190's, I have done a few like this. The main reason I was asking is that around here where I live all the BBQ joints seem to serve chopped/pulled ham. While it is good I just prefer the butt/shoulder. The flavor to me is just so much better.

Thanks everyone for all the input.

 

[K80Shooter]

Allright so I am certainly not the expert here but I sure am interested. The shoulder has a really nice(high) fat content and hams (picnics?) don't. I have never cooked a ham, but it would seem to me that it needs to be cooked quite differently than a shoulder. Advice??

I'm not an expert by no means but cooking a fresh ham is not much different than a butt or shoulder. They can be cooked either with the skin on or the skin removed. The last one I cooked I left the skin on and cooked inderect at about 225*. All the exposed meat was rubbed before going on the smoker. It took about 16 hours to cook a 20lb ham but it was well worth the wait. Was done at about 195* internal. Pulled and chopped almost like a butt.

 

[Gnaws on Pigs]

I'm not an expert by no means but cooking a fresh ham is not much different than a butt or shoulder. They can be cooked either with the skin on or the skin removed. The last one I cooked I left the skin on and cooked inderect at about 225*. All the exposed meat was rubbed before going on the smoker. It took about 16 hours to cook a 20lb ham but it was well worth the wait. Was done at about 195* internal. Pulled and chopped almost like a butt.

Yep. I usually cook at more like 250-275*, though.