I did 2 boneless pork butts from Costco on the BGE the other night. They were 7 lbs. & 8 lbs. after trimming. Cooked at 300-325 with peach and pecan wood added to the lump. Took 7 hours to an IT of 198. Although they were delicious, I'm probably done with the boneless ones rom Costco. Whomever did the boning at the processing plant has given a new name to butchering. The last several times I've bought these, I have experienced the same thing.Their boning is so sloppy that I had to tie them up in both directions so they wouldn't fall apart on the grill. Even though the bone-in at the local markets cost more, that's what I'm sticking with in the future. Plus you get a built in thermometer with the shoulder blade. 
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Lately the bone-in butts have been $1.29 at Sam's Club, and they vary in size from maybe 7 to 10 pounds. I used to buy them often at Kroger on sale anywhere from 80 to 99 cents per pound, but have decided I don't like their pork as good as the ones from Sam's.
I've never cooked a boneless butt.... -
I’m with you here in that I don’t them buy from Costco either. I always comb through the local weekly ads and when they get down to $.99/lb I stock up. Plus they’re individually pre packaged and ready for the freezerComment
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For smoking I stick to bone-in butts only. Those Costco boneless shoulders are fine for the crockpot.Comment
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I've only done one from Costco and had the same experience. Makes you wonder who out there is cooking and asking for a product like this? I can't think of a good way to cook a butt where the bone doesn't just practically fall out.
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I do buy them occasionally from Costco, yes I have to tie it up. But like above if I see some elsewhere for .99 lb I'll stock up.Comment
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Agree with the comments on butchering. But, If the price is right, I still buy from Costco. Tying only takes a couple of minutes and I have not noticed a difference in flavor between one with a bone and one without. Big difference is the way I cook them now. I now cook them in a pan on a rack to save the drippings to mix back in.
Last edited by jlazar; April 3, 2020, 02:31 PM.Comment
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A lot of Costco's meat cutting sucks. I bought some boneless country style ribs once, and they were all sorts of shapes and sizes; I had to cut some of them down, andothers were so small I separated them for stew. Same thing with chicken pieces. And,the steaks are always too big (not for me personally, but for many).Comment
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Count me in with bone in crowd. If you have a restaurant depot card they have bone in usually around $1.35Comment
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My one experience with the boneless butts from Costco was ok. Not great, not terrible. I would buy them again if I found myself needing to cook for a large group and trying to keep cost down as much as possible, but for a smaller group or just my family I'd stick with the bone-in butts from Wegmans (I've been pretty happy with them) or a berkshire butt if I feel like splurging.Comment
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Looking good!
They are a little sloppy after the de boning. When that happens, I usually just throw them on the smoker as is, sometimes I will cut them up into smaller pieces and cook them up. More bark that way too! The deal you get from Costco is worth it, IMHO.Comment
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I too prefer bone-in. Boneless ones that I've bought have always been floppy haphazard hunks. I try my best to just flop them down with the smaller floppier parts on the bottom, pinched in place by gravity.Comment
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I buy the 2 pack at Costco and like it. I always tie them if I’m going to smoke them. But, we often use them for Chile Verde, too. Or a pork stew like they make in northern France. Or I grab a bone in butt at Fred Meyer, when they aren’t expensive. Either way. other than having to tie them, I have found very little difference.Comment
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