Chuck vs Shoulder roast? Difference?

[patcrail]

Is there a difference between a standard chuck roast and a shoulder roast? I thought chuck was shoulder, but noticed at the supermarket today that anything over 2 lbs is labeled shoulder roast, and they are more in the 3-5 lb range... they look lean, but no more so than the standard chucks.... do these shoulders act any different from chuck when smoking to maybe 190 for slicing?

[BFlynn]

I've also seen "chuck shoulder" and "chuck blade" roasts.

I'm curious about the answer as well

[Jfrosty27]

It seems the butchers/meat counters are getting creative. Who know what you are buying from the grocery chains these days. Buy from a butcher shop and ask them. Maybe a bit more expensive, but st least you nay know what you’re buying

[smokin fool]

Agreed around here it could be a Blade, Shoulder, Cross Cut more I can't think of.
Fancy name equals Fancy price too

[Attjack]

Sure, if the butchers are on the same page which they may or may not be.

[LA Pork Butt]

I don’t know where they come from in the shoulder, but keep in mind the clod or shoulder which is the equivalent of the Boston Butt is 25-35 pounds. So, just like in the Boston Butt there are different muscles and I don’t think there is any way to know which muscle they come from. I think you just need to decide by sight.

[johnec00]

As I under stand it (and that could be a stretch), the shoulder roast is cut from the shoulder clod (namp114), while the various chuck roasts come from the chuck roll (namp116). If that's true, then they are not the same. Now, as to how some supplier may try to merchandise them ?????, who knows.

If you want to wade on in, here's a couple of videos that I think are informative.

Shoulder clod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdZgLhUqXMg

Chuck Roll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxPeEjxkbss

[Bkhuna]

All shoulder is chuck, but not all chuck is shoulder. How's that for confusion.

Some states require labeling meat using standardized nomenclature. Some don't. That's how many folks get confused about the names they see on retail packaging. Depending on where you are, retailers can call any cut by any name they think of.

A good source for standardized butchering and labeling is https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/imps. The beef specifications for shoulder roast is on page 36 of the beef publication:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/defau...eef%5B1%5D.pdf

[BigBry]

Add in another twist: in Canada (at least in my province of Quebec and in the Ottawa region), cuts usually don't have the same names as in the States. And of course, don't expect to find brisket or a real Boston Butt in a regular grocery store. For example for beef, never saw in my town a 'beef chuck'. For us it's a 'beef blade'. And I won't start on the various pork shoulder cuts. But at the end the day: it's meat and treated the right way, it's all good!

[Bkhuna]

Then that whole "back bacon" thing.

[patcrail]

Bkhuna , just bought some Porter Road back bacon, looks absolutely gorgeous, haven’t tried it yet

[patcrail]

Well, shucks, you know me... just gonna have to try one and see what happens!

[smokin fool]

If its a plain roast you are smoking inside temp need not be more than 130 unlike a chuck roast where you need 190 plus.
I do rounds all the time and aim for 130ish IT.

[patcrail]

smokin fool It’s not a round, definitely front shoulder, possibly just larger chucks, and lean, not like the eyes where I got away with 130.... I’m thinking I’ll just go for probe tender, wherever that lies, but I’m guessing about 180 or so

[Red Man]

I stay away from chuck roasts that aren’t well marbled. I’ve tried smoking a couple and they ended up dry. I look at the chuck roasts every time I go to the grocery store and if I find a well marbled one I pick it up.

[Bkhuna]

I've also had a bad experience with a too lean chuck roast. Live and learn.

[patcrail]

Bkhuna here’s that Porter Road back bacon... can’t wait to try it