What cut is a Boston Butt?

Ottawa_egger

Hi all,[p]I decided I'm gonna do a pulled pork monster cook and freeze some PP baggies. I did one last summer and ordered a Boston Butt from my butcher and paid an astronomical C$3.99/lb for it. This time around I decided to get it from a higher volume place given it is a cheap cutt of pork and went to Farm Boy. Here in Canada they don't label the cut a Boston Butt, so I asked the meat dude.[p]He said he likely doesn't have any butts (not a high demand item here in Canada so often not a stocked item) but told me to use the Pork Leg Butt Portion he had on sale for $0.99/lb (reg was $2.49/lb) - he said it was a higher quality cut than the Boston Butt and would be fine for a lo'n'slo. From a pic I saw on the Internet, it looked like a Boston butt came from what looked like the same place a pork leg butt portion would come from, but I can't say pork anatomy is my specialty. One is about 7.2# and the other about 7.7#. It quacks like a duck, so I'm wondering if it is a duck...[p]Do I have to make any adjustments to my PP cook with these two cuts, or are we still talking about an 18 hr cook?[p]Ottawa_egger

Sundown

Ottawa_egger,
Look at the whole thing as your arm. [p]Your bicep is the BUTT[p]Your forearm is the Picnic Shoulder.[p]Don't ask me why they did that. I don't care. However, my family thinks the PICNIC is the most flavorful of the two. Get it with the bone in (I think that is one reason it has a different kind of flavor) You can skin it or have your butcher do it. I leave the skin on and cross cut it to allow the fats to drain better. You can cook it either skin up or skin down everyone has a different take on it. Cook with a DOME TEMP of at least 250ºF figure 1 1/2 to 2 hours a pound. Ask if the meat has been "enhanced" IE injected for "Flavor reasons" if it has then watch your internal temp. I think enhancement speed up the cook. Pull at 200ºF wrap in foil and towels and into a cooler for a couple of hours to let the juices redistribute. You can hold the meat in there for up to 5 hours. I've had one in the cooler for nearly 7 hours and it was still so hot it was not fun to pull! Good luck and while you're at it get a couple of extras and freeze them.

Matt

Sundown and Ottawa_egger,[p]It's funny how folks both talk about and cook different cuts of meat. Here in NC, people typically cook a cut colloquially known as a "barbecue shoulder". It's the whole front leg, butt and picnic. The place where I get my pig (Nahunta Pork Outlet) also sells pig front quarters -- leg plus ribs.[p]I've got an 11# barbecue sholder on the Egg right now -- my first try at barbecue in my Egg.[p]Matt

thirdeye

Ottawa_egger,[p]The "butt" so popular in barbecue is the butt end of the front shoulder. It is nearer the body. The picnic is the other section of the shoulder closer to the foot. [p]It sounds like your butcher does know what you are talking about, however we may be confused on terms. Often "leg" will refer to the hind leg, also called a fresh ham (if it is not cured). You need to ask if the cut he is pushing in your direction is from the front end or the rear.[p]The rear leg does not have the same ratio of fat as the front shoulder cuts and is not as desirable for barbecue.[p]~thirdeye~

thirdeye

Matt,[p]That is a good size, the ones I can get are in the 15-18 pound range and are too large for my Egg, so I use a different cooker.[p]Any chance of posting some pictures of that boy on the Egg?[p]~thirdeye~

Matt

thirdeye,[p]When I open it up, I'll try to remember to snap a couple -- it should still be light. I'll need a Photobucket (or similar) account to post pics, right?[p]Where are you located?[p]Matt

Unknown

Ottawa_egger,
It is called the Boston Butt because along time ago in Boston they used to pack the lesser desirable cuts like the shoulder in casks and barrels called 'Butts'. I think they call it a Boston Butt everywhere but Boston and Canada. So I hear
Steve

thirdeye

Matt,[p]Yeah, you need a host site. But, most are free until you store a bunch of pic's. You might as well get one set-up, we love pictures around here. I put my e-mail addy onto this post, you could e-mail to me (I'll even post here if you want). I just wanted a visual of a shoulder on the Egg.[p]I'm in Casper,Wyomng.[p]~thirdeye~

AZRP

thirdeye,
Yeah, I'd like to see a shot of a whole shoulder on the Egg too. If you don't post it, could you email me a shot too? Thanks -RP