Picnic Shoulder vs Butts

Butts! More versatile, less hassle...

...and get your mind out of the gutter. :biggrin:

River City Smokehouse said:

I really don't want a ham.

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I have never done a picnic either but I've heard that it taste like ham & has the consistency of a ham.

Sam's had monster butts yesterday when I went to get my meat for this weekends cook, a package of 2 butts weighed 18 lbs. & both butts are almost the same size...Sweet!

I don't care for the flavor of picnics either.
Besides, I like telling people I'm cooking butts.

this is a great subject in general and also great as a discussion for competetion cooking. I voted butts but really I don't have a real preference in that I never done picnics enough to know. I do know there are teams using picnics and have talked to at least one of them that was sold on the whole shoulders. I been thinking that I would love to do a combination of the two and try and find more variations of the chunks for the box that way. Well - I talked myself into it - it's a done deal now, next pork cook will be a picnic and a butt.

I voted for butt. Only because I have never cooked a shoulder. Maybe I should. I guess the only reason I haven't is because I don't see them in the store. I think I will. Jim, you have inspired me.

Nate

I'll go for the Picnic. Cook it like a butt, I leave the skin on, some recommend scoring or removing it, which I've tried and didn't care for. The ones I've cooked have been in the 8-9lb range and have never had one that tasted like Ham. I think the meat is sweeter tasting than butts with a lot of dark meat.

I've done both, but the butt's the choice for me for simplicity. When doing a picnic, I make sure to mix the meat together.

Edit - When I've done a picnic, it's been because I've done the shoulder.

I have just always done the butts.

If wanting to test, why not do a Whole Shoulder. That will also test your ability to smoke 15-20 lb pieces of meat.

swamprb said:

I'll go for the Picnic. Cook it like a butt, I leave the skin on, some recommend scoring or removing it, which I've tried and didn't care for. The ones I've cooked have been in the 8-9lb range and have never had one that tasted like Ham. I think the meat is sweeter tasting than butts with a lot of dark meat.

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I totally agree!!! If you're not gonna do a whole shoulder, the picnic is the one to smoke.

Have you ever spoken or gone down to Weber Meats here in Jeff City? He has about anything you need or will get it fresh and cut it for you. Good meat but his prices are a bit high as well. He also carries Blues Hog. Mosers grocery also carries Blues Hog sauces....just an FYI. I like it but almost too sweet for me. I am more the Gates and Aurthur Bryants

Butts only here too. Never cooked a picnic, and I guess I don't have the desire to.

Harbormaster said:

I don't care for the flavor of picnics either.
Besides, I like telling people I'm cooking butts.

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cooking?

I like to tell them I'm firing up my girl to smoke some butts this weekend.


I can do either if by picnic do you mean New York Shoulder?

I use both. No real preference. Picnics have more bone and some skin above the hock that to me is waste and is removed. So that factors in. Butts are less hassel. Picnics MAY be more economical.

Hey Jim I like picnics. Not sure why some are saying they are more trouble. I cut the skin off, season it just like picnic and place it under the picnic its self. I use the skin later for seasoning other things. I also cut the fat cap off of butts so its about the same amount of work but I toss the fat cap.

I like the color of picnics and the taste, usually they are cheaper. I would give them a try. Whats life anyway if you don't play with your meat now and then. ;-)
Dave

Picnics are more readily available here, and the price can't be beat.

Read my comment #8 in THIS THREAD to see the need to chop those two muscles lower on the hock

I've done a few picnics with decent results (in my back yard). I have never thought of cutting the skin off. I just smoked them intact. Maybe that's why the smoke didn't penetrate as much. :redface:

The picnics I did tasted more "porkish." Almost a hammy taste, if you know what I mean. The meat is definitely dark. I think next time I do one, I'll do as Mo-Dave suggests, but I'll also inject.

Around here, picnics run about a dollar cheaper per pound versus BB's.

All that being said, i just prefer the texture and taste of BB's. There is a recipe in Smoke & Spice specifically for picnic, and it is pretty decent.

I have done both , but i usually do butts. Picnic are cheaper per pound but you have skin and more bone. In Nov. I cook 8 fresh whole shoulder for my sister church they turn out great. Taste, can't tell much difference.

Picnics taste chitty. I would rather cook a butt.