For pulled pork... Butt or Picnic?

Eggaroo · April 2015

What is the best to use for pulled pork? I've cooked a couple butts so far, one boneless and one bone-in and it seemed like the bone-in was a little better but there were other variables too so I don't know if that had anything to do with the differences. However, I was at the grocery the other day and they had both butts and picnics with the picnics being priced significantly cheaper.

So the questions are -
1. What is the difference between the two in terms of the meat (light/dark) and fat content?
2. Is there a preference my fellow eggers have when making pulled pork?
3. With either of these roasts, do you prefer boneless or bone-in?

Thanks!

lkapigian · April 2015

IMHO Butt, I think the picnics have a little more "Ham " flavor---anything can be pulled though, depends on your taste

cazzy · April 2015

I prefer bone-in Boston Butt.

DaveRichardson · April 2015

Bone-in Boston Butt for pulled pork at my house! That bone makes a great tester for if the meat is "done" - if the bone pulls out with very light tug, then meat is done. FTC then pull and enjoy!

tarheelmatt · April 2015

A butt. A picnic is difficult to pull as you will dry it out as there isn't as much fat or connective tissue. The picnic is more lean and includes more "white lean", which I like.

Ultimately, having both is nice. You have the juicy butt along with the leaner meat from the picnic.

gdenby · April 2015

I've made better PP w. butt than picnic, in terms of juiciness. A plus for the picnic is that they usually have a good bit of skin on them, which can be used to make cracklins. For reasons unknown to me, they tend to be a bit cheaper. Maybe 'cause there's more bone. If you have a dog, or are making stock, more bone is also a plus.

Ladeback69 · April 2015

tarheelmatt said:

A butt. A picnic is difficult to pull as you will dry it out as there isn't as much fat or connective tissue. The picnic is more lean and includes more "white lean", which I like.

Ultimately, having both is nice. You have the juicy butt along with the leaner meat from the picnic.

@tarheelmatt, is correct that the picnic will be a little leaner like the ham that comes from the rear of the pig/hog. The butt or shoulder sits on top of the picnic and doesn't get as much workout as the picnic would, that's probably why it would be a little more red in color to start with like the ham or say the ribs. Here is a diagram for the cuts of a pig/hog.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/9s/mt1zxie5f5mz.jpg

As for bone or no bone; it depends on flavor to me. I prefer the bone because it is and indication when it it done and it will pull out easy. Now on whether it taste more ham like I am not sure, but you can make a butt, picnic, ham, or tenderloin into a ham if you cure it right. I just cured a butt to be a ham for Easter, because I couldn't find a fresh ham. I cured it in a brown sugar/maple syrup and kosher salt for 5 days in 20% solution. Here is picture of that an d it was awesome.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/7t/a7me1dwmcyop.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/je/todqpa2jf5oz.jpg

Eggaroo · April 2015

Thanks everyone for their input. It seems that most people on here talk about smoking butts

but I didn't know the reasons why.

Ladeback69 - That is an AWESOME looking ham! I can tell that was delicious just from looking at it.

volfan1 · April 2015

I find I get the best results for PP with a bone in Boston butt.

tarheelmatt · April 2015

I pull picnics off at 180°, and then chop.

Image: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-36oIU8r32Zw/VQ2bw6zp3mI/AAAAAAAAJu8/uXgkIzTyjL0/w702-h395-no/20150321_122606.jpg

After chopping, I add sauce/dip so some flavor is soaked into all tidbits.

Here is a plate of fresh chopped Q.

Image: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1C--7mMiThA/VQ9hzBvyd8I/AAAAAAAAJHs/-Vt6-bdVBNM/w702-h469-no/DSC_6206.jpg

Eggcelsior · April 2015

tarheelmatt said:

I pull picnics off at 180°, and then chop.

After chopping, I add sauce/dip so some flavor is soaked into all tidbits.

Here is a plate of fresh chopped Q.

This is as close to really BBQ as you're going to get. I ask for a full leg/shoulder from the butcher when I want to do as traditional as possible in regards to the confines of the egg. Pull the foreleg bone and shoulder plate, then chop up everything with mop as the only sauce.

Carolina Q · April 2015

Ladeback69, if you have access to Restaurant Depot, they have fresh ham. Or mine did yesterday anyway. No idea if they always have it or not. I wasn't looking for one, but happened to notice an enormous piece of meat and just looked to see what it was. I didn't pay attention to the price or the size, except to notice that they were seriously HUGE! I actually do want to try a fresh ham since cured ham has so much sodium, I can hear my doc screaming if I even look at the label! Hope I can find one smaller than RD. Had to weigh 20 lbs! And yes, I know it won't be the same as real ham. Sigh.

As for pork Q, I prefer a bone-in butt, but they are often much more expensive, so I sometimes settle.

Ladeback69 · April 2015

Carolina Q said:

Ladeback69, if you have access to Restaurant Depot, they have fresh ham. Or mine did yesterday anyway. No idea if they always have it or not. I wasn't looking for one, but happened to notice an enormous piece of meat and just looked to see what it was. I didn't pay attention to the price or the size, except to notice that they were seriously HUGE! I actually do want to try a fresh ham since cured ham has so much sodium, I can hear my doc screaming if I even look at the label! Hope I can find one smaller than RD. Had to weigh 20 lbs! And yes, I know it won't be the same as real ham. Sigh.

As for pork Q, I prefer a bone-in butt, but they are often much more expensive, so I sometimes settle.

That's where I got my pork butts and they were out and couldn't get any more in tell after Easter. I didn't go looking for a ham tell a week before Easter. That's my mistake, next time I will get it about a month out or so.

Cookbook_Chip · April 2015

I typically do butts, but sometimes get a hankering for cracklin' - so I get a picnic and cut off the skin to smoke off to the side next to the meat. Mmmmm... Cracklin'... Bonus is picnics usually are less cost per pound!

JethroVA · April 2015

Butt

For pulled pork... Butt or Picnic?

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