Picnic Shoulder vs Boston Butt

MeatyOakerSmoker · Jun 21, 2011

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 · Jun 21, 2011

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 · Jun 21, 2011

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

The_Kapn · Jun 21, 2011

Lake Dogs said:
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 · Jun 21, 2011

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 · Jun 21, 2011

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

Lake Dogs · Jun 21, 2011

The_Kapn said:
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 · Jun 21, 2011

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

BBQ Bros · Jan 1, 2012

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 · Jan 1, 2012

I buy and cook what is on sale.

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

MeatyOakerSmoker · Jan 1, 2012

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 · Jan 1, 2012

IbrahimSS said:
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 · Jan 1, 2012

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 · Jan 1, 2012

El Ropo · Jan 1, 2012

One of my best picnics ever!

Trimmed and rubbed:

Off the ECB Gourmet:

Pulled:

That was some awesome tasting PP.

captndan · Jan 2, 2012

In the practical world they are interchangeable. If one seems sweeter it's not the cut it's just a different hog.

MeatyOakerSmoker · Jan 2, 2012

Have you ever tested that theory?

LMAJ · Jan 2, 2012

I agree that picnics are "sweeter". Just did one this weekend that was one of the best we have done in a long time...
I used to take the skin off, but leave it on now and cook it skin down on the Egg....

Picnic Shoulder vs Boston Butt

MeatyOakerSmoker

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Lake Dogs

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deguerre

somebody shut me the fark up.

The_Kapn

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kingsnob

Knows what a fatty is.

Johnny_Crunch

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Lake Dogs

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jestridge

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BBQ Bros

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SirPorkaLot

somebody shut me the fark up.

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SirPorkaLot

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txschutte

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NorthwestBBQ

somebody shut me the fark up.

El Ropo

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LMAJ

somebody shut me the fark up.

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