Pork Shoulder-Boston Butt Difference?

h2o · 11-20-2007, 08:48 PM

what is the difference if any from a shoulder compared to a boston butt.
do you prepare the same?

ChiliMacDaddy · 11-20-2007, 09:37 PM

A whole shoulder is a Boston butt and a Picnic all in one piece.
I prefer butts for pulled pork but picnics are good for chunkin, and they have more of a ham texture.

h2o · 11-20-2007, 09:51 PM

thanks mac
which one has the bone in?

Westexbbq · 11-20-2007, 09:56 PM

As far as bone in, Boston Butt can be either, bone in or not.
Depends on the butcher or your preference.

ZBQ · 11-20-2007, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h2o

thanks mac
which one has the bone in?

Both have a bone and are from the front leg of a hog.

A "shoulder" (meaning whole shoulder) is divided into 2 portions.

The "butt" is the top section, usually squareish in shape. (Boston butt, pork butt, shoulder butt ect. are all the same thing) It's a bad name because it gives the impression that it comes from the hind leg of a hog but it doesn't. Ham comes from the hind leg.

The "picnic" section is the bottom section of the shoulder and has a tapered shape. Sometimes it comes with the skin still on it.

The same bone (shoulder) runs through both the butt and the picnic.

Both the butt and picnic can be boneless if the butcher has removed it.

Hope this helps.

keale · 11-21-2007, 01:04 AM

I've found the "picnic" to taste "gamey", not bad, just different from a boston butt. Just my $ .02...I like the butt better

Harbormaster · 11-21-2007, 08:48 AM

The "butt" (aka pork shoulder blade roast) will have a flat, blade like bone, and the picnic will have more of a long bone, or leg bone, in it. I think.

KC_Bobby · 11-21-2007, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keale

I've found the "picnic" to taste "gamey", not bad, just different from a boston butt. Just my $ .02...I like the butt better

I've noticed that the picnic smells like chit. Has anyone else noticed that? If so, does the vinigar wash (as described in another thread) make a difference?

Jeremiah · 11-21-2007, 08:54 AM

Picnics are fine, I've done them a bunch of times as it seems to be all the supermarkets carry when I'm forced to shop locally. Boston butts have more meat in them, less waste.

tony76248 · 11-21-2007, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZBQ

Both have a bone and are from the front leg of a hog.

A "shoulder" (meaning whole shoulder) is divided into 2 portions.

The "butt" is the top section, usually squareish in shape. (Boston butt, pork butt, shoulder butt ect. are all the same thing) It's a bad name because it gives the impression that it comes from the hind leg of a hog but it doesn't. Ham comes from the hind leg.

The "picnic" section is the bottom section of the shoulder and has a tapered shape. Sometimes it comes with the skin still on it.

The same bone (shoulder) runs through both the butt and the picnic.

Both the butt and picnic can be boneless if the butcher has removed it.

Hope this helps.

I concur with this statement. That said, many butchers have a different name for the cut of meat, so I guess nothing is set in stone.

HB-BBQ · 11-21-2007, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC_Bobby

I've noticed that the picnic smells like chit. Has anyone else noticed that? If so, does the vinigar wash (as described in another thread) make a difference?

I have noticed that myself and I recently learned about a stink nerve on the picnics that some folks trim out before cooking. I personally like the boston's butts a lot better than the picnic's. They seem to fit better in the BWS and yield a lot more meat than the picnic cuts.

big brother smoke · 11-21-2007, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HB-BBQ

I have noticed that myself and I recently learned about a stink nerve on the picnics that some folks trim out before cooking. I personally like the boston's butts a lot better than the picnic's. They seem to fit better in the BWS and yield a lot more meat than the picnic cuts.

The stink nerve/gland should be removed to improve the quality of the finished product.

HB-BBQ · 11-21-2007, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big brother smoke

The stink nerve/gland should be removed to improve the quality of the finished product.

Thanks for the input BBS, I just learned about it. I usually get my boston butts from Sams and have never seen the gland on them.

CajunSmoker · 11-21-2007, 10:52 PM

The picnic makes a really nice cured ham that can be done fairly quickly due to its size or it can be smoked with the butt and pulled or chopped together to make a hell of good pork BBQ.

nonthink · 11-22-2007, 12:34 AM

Stink nerve? I never heard of such a thing. Something new every day I guess. Where does one exactly locate the stink nerve on the picnic? I have one in my freezer now, which will be my last one, since I found someone with a membership at Restaurant Depot. Now I can get butts whenever I want, since my local supermarket, or Costco doesn’t carry them.

11-20-2007, 08:48 PM	#1
h2o Got Wood. Join Date: 09-04-07 Location: Lower Left NM Name/Nickname : Burn	Pork Shoulder-Boston Butt Difference? what is the difference if any from a shoulder compared to a boston butt. do you prepare the same?

11-20-2007, 09:37 PM	#2
ChiliMacDaddy Got Wood. Join Date: 10-24-07 Location: The Heart of it All	A whole shoulder is a Boston butt and a Picnic all in one piece. I prefer butts for pulled pork but picnics are good for chunkin, and they have more of a ham texture. __________________ [FONT=Impact][I][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype]Mac [/FONT][/B] [/I][/FONT]

11-20-2007, 09:56 PM	#4
Westexbbq somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 09-02-05 Location: Rockin' Lake Ronfarkoma, Hinterlands of BBQ .	As far as bone in, Boston Butt can be either, bone in or not. Depends on the butcher or your preference. __________________ Illuminated, circa 1967. KCBS CBJ-Texas Transplant. Texas Smokemaster offset, Well-cured NB Silver Smoker, Santa Fe grill (retired). glory bee gasser. Texas International Pop Festival, Labor Day 1969. IMBAS Certified. Just roll me up and smoke me when I die. Always remember, no matter where ya go, there you are. I wanna tell you 'bout Texas radio and the big beat. Someday, I hope to visit Penelope. Hondo Crouch, Famous Late Mayor of Lunkenbach, Texas who advocated a 'dillo diet: "You can eat nothing but armadillos for a month, but you will have to run down and catch all the armadillos you eat and it can really take the weight off!"

11-21-2007, 01:04 AM	#6
keale Babbling Farker Join Date: 04-17-07 Location: Kauai, HI	I've found the "picnic" to taste "gamey", not bad, just different from a boston butt. Just my $ .02...I like the butt better __________________ To Eternity and Beyond! HE>i BBQ Brethren 22.5" WSM (1,000,000 post mod.) Weber Performer (169.00/brand new mod.) Weber Handles from www.amlwoodart.com UDS 22.5" Weber kettle, (refuse collector mod.) 18" Weber kettle (almost new craigslist $20 mod) "crest of a breaking wave" thats my name...

11-21-2007, 08:48 AM	#7
Harbormaster somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-14-06 Location: Wyocena/Pardeeville, WI Name/Nickname : Clark	The "butt" (aka pork shoulder blade roast) will have a flat, blade like bone, and the picnic will have more of a long bone, or leg bone, in it. I think. __________________ Clark My Boys: Joseph (EI); Andrew (EE); Daniel (EE) My Toys: 10 WSMs (B, C, E, DH, DA, EZ, DZ, EO, DU, DR); 5 - 22.5" Bar-B-Q-Kettles; 2 - 18.5" Bar-B-Q-Kettle; 4 WGAs (EZ, DE, N, B); 2 SJPs ( DR, DR); 2 Smokey Joes (A, K); Brinkman Cimmaron. "For when democracy becomes tyranny, those of us with rifles still get to vote"

11-20-2007, 09:51 PM	#3
h2o Got Wood. Join Date: 09-04-07 Location: Lower Left NM Name/Nickname : Burn	thanks mac which one has the bone in?

11-21-2007, 08:54 AM	#9
Jeremiah is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 09-10-07 Location: Brooklyn, NY	Picnics are fine, I've done them a bunch of times as it seems to be all the supermarkets carry when I'm forced to shop locally. Boston butts have more meat in them, less waste. __________________ Heavy Metal BBQ

11-21-2007, 10:52 PM	#14
CajunSmoker is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 02-06-07 Location: Rolling down the river between St Louis and New Orleans	The picnic makes a really nice cured ham that can be done fairly quickly due to its size or it can be smoked with the butt and pulled or chopped together to make a hell of good pork BBQ. __________________ Rodger How y'all are? I'm glad you got to see me I guarontee Justin Wilson 4/24/1914 - 09/05/2001 CAJUN QUE KREWE Proud ARKLAFO KCBS member & CBJ#24398 Twin Ugly Drum Smokers Brinkman Smoke King Deluxe Brinkman Gourmet ECB with super chicken mods Weber OTS kettle

11-22-2007, 12:34 AM	#15
nonthink Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-18-06 Location: West Babylon, NY (long Island)	Stink nerve? I never heard of such a thing. Something new every day I guess. Where does one exactly locate the stink nerve on the picnic? I have one in my freezer now, which will be my last one, since I found someone with a membership at Restaurant Depot. Now I can get butts whenever I want, since my local supermarket, or Costco doesn’t carry them. __________________ Killer Of Threads WSM w\ Stoker Char-Broil Silver Smoker Smokey Joe Gold Weber Kettle (18 in.) Kingsford Kettle (it came w\ the house) Kenmore Gasser (I've grown tired of being a charcoal purest)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Picnic Shoulder vs Boston Butt	MeatyOakerSmoker	Q-talk	17	01-02-2012 09:26 AM
difference between pork shoulder and pork butt	mostwanted	Q-talk	7	08-24-2010 07:57 PM
Michigan Kroger $.99 Pork Shoulder Boston Butt	dodgeramsst2003	Q-talk	7	02-11-2009 10:43 AM
boston pork butt	brucesieg	Q-talk	18	12-06-2004 07:54 AM
Pork shoulder picnic vs. Boston Butt	jcofkc54	Q-talk	2	10-30-2003 08:54 AM