Doing a Pork Shoulder Sunday

[RichieB]

Pulled a 3# out of freezer. I've done Boston Butt in the past. I know both are from the shoulder top butt and shoulder bottom. Going to do on Kettle. Should I just approach like a butt? Advise appreciated.

[Mr. Bones]

Yup, same same... enjoy, an watch that lil rascal close!!! 3 lbs?

Have a Great Cook, Amigo!

[Huskee]

"Butt" is just a nickname for pork [front] shoulder. Same thing, same process.

[Bkhuna]

No, the butt is not the same. The butt is what remains after the picnic is removed from the shoulder.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/IMPS_400_Fresh_Pork%5B1%5D.pdf

[Mr. Bones]

Isn't a pork [rear] shoulder, technically a hip? LOL

[Huskee]

Bkhuna Yes, touche. I thought it was implied that we were not talking about the leg/picnic portion.

[fzxdoc]

According to Cooks Illustrated:

Pork Butt


Pork Shoulder:


Pork Butt vs. Pork Shoulder

Also known as "Boston butt"	Also known as "picnic shoulder" or "picnic roast"
Well marbled with intramuscular fat	Typically has less intramuscular fat and marbling
Often sold with fat cap intact	Frequently sold with skin on
Rectangular, uniform shape	Tapered, triangular shape
Sold as bone-in and boneless	If boneless, typically sold in netting; when netting is removed, meat "unfolds" into uneven layer

When to Use Pork Butt

Since pork butt has more fat marbling throughout the meat and a more uniform shape, it’s the best cut for stewing and braising as well as for making fall-apart-tender pulled pork for a barbecue or for tacos. If a recipe calls for a choice between pork shoulder and pork butt, we highly recommend choosing pork butt.


When to Use Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder is our cut of choice when making a pork roast that calls for crackling-crisp skin (such as our Cuban-Style Oven-Roasted Pork), since the cut is sold with the skin on.

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All of this is really nice (thanks for the free side info, CI) but I've often seen pork butts labeled as pork shoulder in our grocery store.

Kathryn

[Huskee]

Where I shop, Butt and Shoulder are used interchangeably, and Picnic is the leg portion/lower shoulder. So while I agree, it's the not going to be that way in the stores & shops for everyone whcih makes it tough to standardize terminology.

[Troutman]

I agree with Bkhuna above and the IMPS specification. I’ve always read where the whole thing is call the "shoulder" which is subdivided into the "butt" (a term referring to the barrels they were stored in) and the lower half or the "picnic". I think Cook’s Illustrated is wrong in this instance. Seems more of a matter of semantics really.

Bottom line to the OP, cook it the same way.

[Huskee]

Goes to show you that we can't really standardize the terminology. Is it pop or soda?

[bmillin]

Yup, same same... enjoy, an watch that lil rascal close!!! 3 lbs?

Have a Great Cook, Amigo!

As Mr. Bones said - watch it close, 3 lbs is fairly small and will cook fast, also don’t go crazy on getting the bark too deep or you won’t have much of the tender part.

[Bogy]

I picked up a two "pork shoulders" yesterday. One might have also had "butt" somewhere on the label. To lazy to go look right now. One is a little shoulder, about 4 lbs, in netting (which I will be sure to remove this time, took off all my bark the last time I forgot). That will be for my wife and myself sometime. The other is about 12 lbs. with a bone. That one will be for a few days from now when the grandchildren come to stay for a few days. They will be cooked the same way, but the big one will take a lot longer.