Pork shoulder vs. pork butt

[SmokingPat]

Here's a somewhat embarrassing question: is a 'pork shoulder' identical to a 'pork butt'?

I've been actively cooking and smoking meat for 5+ years, and thought I knew important pork anatomy. But recently, I came across an article that implied that a 'pork butt' was either part of of a pork shoulder, or a cut next to the shoulder.
I didn't keep a link to the site.

[Jerod Broussard]

Pork butt is the upper pork shoulder.

Picnic is the lower.

[LA Pork Butt]

+ 1

[gboss]

To illustrate what Jerod posted:

[Ace]

This is a great post! 👍

[jfmorris]

Way to answer like a boss, gboss !

[fzxdoc]

Perfect clarification.

K.

[fkrall]

My head is spinning. For those of us in the balcony, when do you employ each, shoulder or butt. or are they interchangeable?

[SmokingPat]

I think the pork picnics are smaller, and have less fat. Not much meat - but it was OK for my wife & I.

[SmokingPat]

Thank you. In greater Los Angeles area chain grocery stores, it's not unusual to see pork picnic shoulders. So, I think they separate pork butts from the picnics. I must have been cooking butts all this time.
I think a full shoulder would be a really big for me to cook (both for my smoker and for all the meat I'd have leftover)!

So, here are more questions:
- Are full shoulders common outside of metro-area grocery stores?
- Do some of you cook full shoulders? If so, what type of smoker do you use?

[SheilaAnn]

I have t purchased shoulder/butt from the grocery in forever. I get Creekstone at wholesale through my friend who is in the biz. That said, SmokingPat check Smart & Final or Restaurant Depot. At RD, you might have to find a way to get a day pass, though.

[jfmorris]

I’ve only see a full shoulder in a local grocery store once or twice. Usually they are separated, and you see the picnic and Boston butt. I avoid the picnic as there seems to be less meat and more bone.

[LA Pork Butt]

I only remember seeing them once or twice. The meat in the picnic is different from the shoulder. I have done a few picnics for Cubano sandwiches. If I cooked a full shoulder on my Big Green Egg I probably would have to seperate the shoulder (butt) from the picnic. The shoulder is much more readily available in my area than the picnic.

[SmokingPat]

@SheliaAnn Thanks. I usually shop at Smart 'n Final and Vons, and don't have a problem finding pork butt (or pork picnic). I'd like to give RD a try, but it's about 2 hours round trip. Someday when I'm feeling adventurous.