Butt or Picnic?

Johnny_Crunch

Johnny_Crunch

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what cut are you guys using? I noticed there is a pretty big price difference? what is going to produce the best results?

please discuss.
 
Ive cooked picnics, but only at home...boston butts for comps. But ive heard the meat on the picnic could be better, using the old mantra sweeter the meat closer to the bone.
 
The only cut that I've done so far was a picnic and that was because I was dying to do something of a lengthy cook. I did notice that some, not all, of the meat had a hammy taste and the rest was pulled pork quality. It was a 7lb bone-in picnic @ 250 for 12-13 hours. I believe the hammy part is normal for the picnic. I could be wrong though.
 
bone in butt, bone in because it's a solid mass

t
 
I have cooked them both and like them both,for the price picnic is a great cut just cook it a little longer than butts.
 
jgarofalo said:
The only cut that I've done so far was a picnic and that was because I was dying to do something of a lengthy cook. I did notice that some, not all, of the meat had a hammy taste and the rest was pulled pork quality. It was a 7lb bone-in picnic @ 250 for 12-13 hours. I believe the hammy part is normal for the picnic. I could be wrong though.
Click to expand...

If it was hammy, was it enhanced?

Picnic is good eats, just more waste than a boston butt.

Price works out close to the same, bark can be less depending on how much skin you leave on, on the other side, if you inject the skin holds in the moisture good...



thunter said:
Is the picnic and the butt together a whole shoulder?
Click to expand...

Yes, I think so...
 
i go with picnics because that's what i can find easily on the regular.
 
I use the butt for pulled pork & sausage and the picnic for buckboard bacon.
It's just a matter of preference. :thumb:
 
I only use a bone in butt, I've done whole shoulder about 5 times for events and have never been happy with the result.
 
Alan in Ga said:
I have cooked them both and like them both,for the price picnic is a great cut just cook it a little longer than butts.
Click to expand...
What Alan said. I've recently done both and loved both. The texture and taste of the picnic is a little different, but I like it. My FIL LOVED the picnic I did, so I've got two more in the freezer ($.89 per pound too good to pass up) along with a butt. Next thing I cook will probably be one of the picnics and I'll do an injection.
 
Bone-in butt all the way. Anything you buy with the word "picnic" in it, just means its lower on the front leg. You really are better off spending the extra (little) cash on a good butt. Better quality meat, less intermuscular fat and collagen, and less bone. If you are desperate to try the difference, don't pay more than .99/lb for picnic and remove the skin and external fat when you smoke it. If you shop the adds (at least in so. cal.) you can often find butts for 1.29/lb or less.

Good luck!
 
I know here in No. Cal. in Oct/Nov through like January, you can pick up butts cheap, this last year they were .79 lb. I assume that's when they butcher the pigs, but I'm not sure. I always fill up my freezer around that time.. as a matter of fact, I'm down to my last one.
 
A butt gives a higher yield per pound... you get what you pay for. I also think a butt cooks more evenly (no shank meat) and has a better ratio of inside/outside(bark) meat.
 
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