Pork Shoulder Picnic Roast

[Graytwhyte]

Hey all,

I just had a quick question about shoulder roasts. Are these to be smoked the same way as butts? Or is there something special that should be done. I did a search in the roadmap and I found butts, but not shoulders.

The local Schnucks has them on sale for $1.19lb, so I figured it would be a good time to give one a try. Thanks for the help, TIM.

[chad]

Cook them pretty much the same way - inject or brine, season and cook skin side down. :D Timing will vary due to the difference in the muscles, the bone, and whether you want to pull the meat or slice it.

The texture will be different from the butt. ((Sounds rude, doesn't it?)) :mrgreen:

[Bill-Chicago]

Tim
I got 3 in the freezer, .89#

I will be corrected here, but I have done one, with Phils guidance.

The Picnic has some of the meat of the butt (pure shoulder only) but is a little bot more down to include the beginning of the leg muscle (a Boston Butt being pure shoulder only, no extension into the leg)

BOT

Smoke it like a shoulder. I do it the same. 165-170, wrap in foil, back in to 190, out and in the cooler for couple hours.

Here's the difference.

Put on you pork pulling gloves and have at it. Start shredding it up with your hands. It will be fall apart,,,,until.... "what the hell is this"? You come across some pieces that are much firmer than the fall apart shoulder portion.

As the muscles lead into the leg, they get leaner, and don't "render" as much. put those "tougher" pieces aside.

Once done with the shreddable portions, pull out a sharp knife and chop the tough shiit up good with the knife. Chop chop chop and add it to the pulled stuff.

Add sauce if you like, or go nuts.

I actually am preferring the picnic, because of the texture changes, verus pure "butta" meat

[Graytwhyte]

Interesting info guys. Thanks for the heads up Bill. After doing some other reading, I have to admit that hearing the shoulders are more like ham had me a little reluctant to try it, but I think I'll give it a shot anyway. If I don't like it, then I'm sure I can find it a good home. :wink:

[Bill-Chicago]

If I don't like it, then I'm sure I can find it a good home. :wink:

Central IL,

We are a 10 hour state top to bottom

Your in central IL, that 4-5 hours from me.

Yeah, you can find it a home :)

Gassing up the car, let me know

[rookiedad]

hi,
the pork shoulder can be divided into two portions. the blade or butt roast wich is near the top of the animal from the side view, and has a flat bone, and the picnic roast wich is the tapered bottom part that attaches to the leg and has a round bone with a joint. depending on weight and starting temperature either one can be expected to stay in from ten to fourteen hours. i remove all skin and use a rub the night before, and one more time just before going on after sitting at room temperature for two hours. use an oven thermometer on the grill to maintain 250 degrees. this will effectively dissolve the connective tissue in both cutsof meat without drying. i only use smoke for the first four hours and straight heat until i can twist the bone free. hope this helps
phil

[chad]

I've heard the difference between the shoulder and ham described as the ham is "white meat". The front shoulder muscles get more work than the hams and so have more blood vessels, etc. Kinda like the white meat/dark meat thing with chickens.

Have fun with it - there's lots of good eats on a pork shoulder. Just don't think it's "ham" :D

[qman]

Dave's right on here! The picnic cut is only "hammy" when it has been processed like a ham--cured and or cold smoked.
We used to cook whole shoulders consisting of the Boston Butt and the Picnic unseperated. With bone-in these guys would weigh 20 plus pounds and take forever, but definitely good eats.

[Mark]

I frequently puy picnics and butts from Schnucks. Usually, they come with the skin and a thick layer of fat still on. I cut this off, fry it up and feed it to my dog. No sense rendering all of that into the bottom of your smoker. Besides, there's still enough internal and external fat to keep it from drying out, especially if you brine marinate and/or spray.

[Graytwhyte]

If I don't like it, then I'm sure I can find it a good home. :wink:

Central IL,

We are a 10 hour state top to bottom

Your in central IL, that 4-5 hours from me.

Yeah, you can find it a home :)

Gassing up the car, let me know

:lol: We are actually closer than that. Only about 2-3 hours, but don't start the engine yet, I'm feeling pretty lucky.

Thanks to all for great info as always, TIM.