newbie first timer questions

Megawhatt · 07-03-2013, 11:58 AM

Hey all, first post on these forums. Been lurking for a few weeks and bought an akorn last week and seasoned the grates but that is as far as I've gotten. My only experience is on a gas grill and I've never smoked before. On the gasser the food usually comes out dry and over cooked. I have a maverick on order waiting for it to be delivered. I know I want to do a pork butt as my first smoking experience so I went to a local meat market to pick one up and I left confused.

I asked the guy at the counter if he had any pork shoulder/pork butt and he replied by saying they had pork roast. Is that the same thing? He asked how big and from reading these forums people are smoking in the range around 8 lbs so I said that and he said their roasts were around 4 lbs. I then asked if there was anything bigger and he said do you want the whole shoulder we can get you one they are around 14 lbs. That sounded too big so I left with nothing. So am I clueless here or did this guy not know what I was taking about? Also I'm in northeast south Dakota does anyone have suggestions on good places to buy meat from around here. I eventually want to do ribs and brisket as well.

Ron_L · 07-03-2013, 12:07 PM

Pork roast typically refers to a pork loin, but it's hard to say. Tell him that you want a Boston butt. The whole shoulder is made up of the Picnic and the Boston butt.

PigTamer · 07-03-2013, 12:17 PM

Check sams if you have one....not sure if you have one there.

Wampus · 07-03-2013, 12:27 PM

What Ron said.

The whole shoulder has both the boston butt roast and the picnic roast.
What he has is either PART of a boston butt (many local meat counters sell the shoulder roast or butt roast in smaller cuts, like cut in half or thinner from the whole butt) OR he has parts of a pork loin roast is my guess.

Even smaller meat counters are likely getting either whole shoulders that they're parting out or they're getting double cryovacs of whole pork butts like you find at Sams or Restaurant Depot and are slicing and parting off of those. If you ask them for a whole boston butt or whole pork shoulder butt roast, that should clear things up.

Ask him to see what he has.

Here's a boston butt roast:
butt.jpg

Here's a pork loin roast:
Boneless Pork Loin Roast, Split.jpg
The one pictured above is boneless. What he has may also have a bone in it.
They cut pork chops off of this (loin chops).

TOTALLY two different pieces of meat.

EWizza · 07-03-2013, 12:30 PM

Sometimes they are labeled as fresh ham too.

WalrusBBQ · 07-03-2013, 12:30 PM

+1 on Boston Butt (goes by many names but this is the most common)

Enjoy :D

Bludawg · 07-03-2013, 12:53 PM

According to Google Phoo your local Walmart carries Tyson Brand Pork Butts not my favorite but is it all you can find It'll do.

CtTradArcher · 07-03-2013, 01:20 PM

Welcome to the Brethren! And congrats on the Akorn. I have one as well and have had very good results. Surely capable of an extended smoke like a Boston butt.
Good luck and post some pics!

letdasmokeroll · 07-03-2013, 01:30 PM

every city in the free world has a wal-mart lol they will have a butt ...get 1 and cook the chit out of it you will be amazed

Megawhatt · 07-03-2013, 02:18 PM

Thanks for all the replies. I did ask the meat market guy to see the butts but all he had were frozen and wrapped in white paper. I figured they would have some fresh not frozen ones but they didn't. From the pics posted above and the size of the packages I'm thinking they were pork loins he had so I prolly won't be going back there. I will go check out Wal-Mart. I saw they had spare ribs there the other day but when I mentioned to my wife she said no Wal-Mart meat haha. I'll just buy it when she isn't along. I will definitely post some pics when I get this thing fired up.

aawa · 07-03-2013, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megawhatt

Thanks for all the replies. I did ask the meat market guy to see the butts but all he had were frozen and wrapped in white paper. I figured they would have some fresh not frozen ones but they didn't. From the pics posted above and the size of the packages I'm thinking they were pork loins he had so I prolly won't be going back there. I will go check out Wal-Mart. I saw they had spare ribs there the other day but when I mentioned to my wife she said no Wal-Mart meat haha. I'll just buy it when she isn't along. I will definitely post some pics when I get this thing fired up.

There is nothing wrong with using Wal-Mart meats for bbq. I have bought numerous racks of ribs, pork butts, full packer briskets from there and they tasted just fine.

smokenpreacher · 07-03-2013, 03:37 PM

Welcome and good luck meat hunting. I went to the local WallyWorld today for a packer, and they were out. Plus, their butts were pushing $2.00 per pound.

I guess if you are gonna eat high on the hog, you got to ask the price of pork.

Went to Ingles and got a 7.5 pound butt, $1.39 per.

J-Rod · 07-03-2013, 04:04 PM

Welcome Megawhatt. Good advice so far. Make sure you cook 'er till she probes like buddah and rest it before pulling and it'll be awesome.

dbq · 07-04-2013, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aawa

There is nothing wrong with using Wal-Mart meats for bbq. I have bought numerous racks of ribs, pork butts, full packer briskets from there and they tasted just fine.

All the pork and chicken at my Walmart has 6-10% solution added. I get the same brand meat (Tyson) at the local supermarket without any solution added. Check the labels, even the Tyson all Natural at Walmart has solution added.

07-03-2013, 11:58 AM	#1
Megawhatt Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 06-06-13 Location: Aberdeen, SD	newbie first timer questions Hey all, first post on these forums. Been lurking for a few weeks and bought an akorn last week and seasoned the grates but that is as far as I've gotten. My only experience is on a gas grill and I've never smoked before. On the gasser the food usually comes out dry and over cooked. I have a maverick on order waiting for it to be delivered. I know I want to do a pork butt as my first smoking experience so I went to a local meat market to pick one up and I left confused. I asked the guy at the counter if he had any pork shoulder/pork butt and he replied by saying they had pork roast. Is that the same thing? He asked how big and from reading these forums people are smoking in the range around 8 lbs so I said that and he said their roasts were around 4 lbs. I then asked if there was anything bigger and he said do you want the whole shoulder we can get you one they are around 14 lbs. That sounded too big so I left with nothing. So am I clueless here or did this guy not know what I was taking about? Also I'm in northeast south Dakota does anyone have suggestions on good places to buy meat from around here. I eventually want to do ribs and brisket as well.

07-03-2013, 12:07 PM	#2
Ron_L Moderator Join Date: 12-09-04 Location: Wandering, but not lost Name/Nickname : Captain Ron	Pork roast typically refers to a pork loin, but it's hard to say. Tell him that you want a Boston butt. The whole shoulder is made up of the Picnic and the Boston butt. __________________ "Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Naked Fatties Rock! PKGo X 2/PK360/Weber Q1000/Blackstone Camping Griddle/Pit Boss Pro Series 850

07-03-2013, 12:27 PM	#4
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN	What Ron said. The whole shoulder has both the boston butt roast and the picnic roast. What he has is either PART of a boston butt (many local meat counters sell the shoulder roast or butt roast in smaller cuts, like cut in half or thinner from the whole butt) OR he has parts of a pork loin roast is my guess. Even smaller meat counters are likely getting either whole shoulders that they're parting out or they're getting double cryovacs of whole pork butts like you find at Sams or Restaurant Depot and are slicing and parting off of those. If you ask them for a whole boston butt or whole pork shoulder butt roast, that should clear things up. Ask him to see what he has. Here's a boston butt roast: butt.jpg Here's a pork loin roast: Boneless Pork Loin Roast, Split.jpg The one pictured above is boneless. What he has may also have a bone in it. They cut pork chops off of this (loin chops). TOTALLY two different pieces of meat. __________________ [COLOR="Blue"][B]"Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ." -Mahatma Gandhi[/B][/COLOR]

07-03-2013, 12:30 PM	#5
EWizza Got Wood. Join Date: 06-19-13 Location: Dedham, MA	Sometimes they are labeled as fresh ham too. __________________ Vision Kamado Classic B,Original Bradley Smoker, el cheapo offset (new braunsfels), weber kettles

07-03-2013, 12:53 PM	#7
Bludawg somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-04-09 Location: Jonesboro,Tx	According to Google Phoo your local Walmart carries Tyson Brand Pork Butts not my favorite but is it all you can find It'll do. __________________ I'm a Proxy Vegetarian> Cows eat grass & I eat cows.

07-03-2013, 12:17 PM	#3
PigTamer Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 02-03-10 Location: Moorhead,MN	Check sams if you have one....not sure if you have one there.

07-03-2013, 12:30 PM	#6
WalrusBBQ Found some matches. Join Date: 06-10-13 Location: SC	+1 on Boston Butt (goes by many names but this is the most common) Enjoy :D

07-03-2013, 01:20 PM	#8
CtTradArcher On the road to being a farker Join Date: 05-20-13 Location: West Cornwall, Ct	Welcome to the Brethren! And congrats on the Akorn. I have one as well and have had very good results. Surely capable of an extended smoke like a Boston butt. Good luck and post some pics! __________________ All that you bring into the lives of others will come back to you in your own. Good or Bad. Large UDS, Small UDS, CG Akorn, NB Bandera, NB Black Diamond, Home Built Offset, Vision Classic Kamado, Green Mountain Daniel Boone, Weber Gasser, Smokey Mountain Cabinet, and several Weber kettles of various sizes.

07-03-2013, 01:30 PM	#9
letdasmokeroll Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-03-13 Location: Maiden NC	every city in the free world has a wal-mart lol they will have a butt ...get 1 and cook the chit out of it you will be amazed

07-03-2013, 02:18 PM	#10
Megawhatt Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 06-06-13 Location: Aberdeen, SD	Thanks for all the replies. I did ask the meat market guy to see the butts but all he had were frozen and wrapped in white paper. I figured they would have some fresh not frozen ones but they didn't. From the pics posted above and the size of the packages I'm thinking they were pork loins he had so I prolly won't be going back there. I will go check out Wal-Mart. I saw they had spare ribs there the other day but when I mentioned to my wife she said no Wal-Mart meat haha. I'll just buy it when she isn't along. I will definitely post some pics when I get this thing fired up.

07-03-2013, 03:37 PM	#12
smokenpreacher Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 12-18-12 Location: Dewy Rose, Ga USA!	Welcome and good luck meat hunting. I went to the local WallyWorld today for a packer, and they were out. Plus, their butts were pushing $2.00 per pound. I guess if you are gonna eat high on the hog, you got to ask the price of pork. Went to Ingles and got a 7.5 pound butt, $1.39 per.

07-03-2013, 04:04 PM	#13
J-Rod is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-15-12 Location: Irish Hills, MI	Welcome Megawhatt. Good advice so far. Make sure you cook 'er till she probes like buddah and rest it before pulling and it'll be awesome. __________________ Okie Joe offset, UDS, Akorn, Weber Kettles, I'm JD.