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Pork Butt Help Please

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Garyinchicago
Garyinchicago Posts: 22
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Can someone explain the difference between a pork shoulder and boston butt? I want to do pulled pork next weekend on the BGE. The main reason I ask is that I called my local meat market and Boston Butt was $5.50 per pound. I called Costco and they said what they have is pork shoulder and it is $1.65 per pound. When buying 20 pounds of meat, that is a larger difference.

What is the difference and which would you go with and why?

Thanks so much.
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Comments

  • Rusty Rooster
    Rusty Rooster Posts: 1,239
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    The butt is the upper portion of the shoulder. The $5+ price is way to high. The other sounds more reasonable.
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  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
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    They're the same thing. "Boston Butt" refers to the upper part of the shoulder. "Pork Shoulder" can refer to both the Boston Butt and the Picnic Ham before it is cut into the two parts, but generally speaking in today's meat case it refers to the upper shoulder.

    Your local meat market butcher is a fool or thinks you are. I did a Sam's Club shoulder a couple weeks ago and it was wonderful.
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  • Cactus Doug
    Cactus Doug Posts: 341
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    Gary the Shoulder is made up of two cuts the butt being the upper one and the picnic being the lower one. Costco however seems to confuse most people because usually what you find there is 2 boneless butts in a cryovac bag labeled pork shoulder. As I explained above while the butt is part of the shoulder the costco label is somewhat misleading. Butts are usually between 6-10 lbs each, where as a whole shoulder is 16 to 20 lbs and usually has a good chunk of skin on it.
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  • Grumps
    Grumps Posts: 186
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    Here you go, this is from a very reputable source...Dizzy Pig.

    http://www.dizzypigbbq.com/recipesButt.html
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  • LFGEnergy
    LFGEnergy Posts: 618
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    I would expect that at 5.50 per pound for butt (bone in, no doubt), that butt must have come from one VERY tasty pig!!!! How great is it to refer to something as delicious as pork butt, as....well....pork butt :woohoo: :whistle: .

    I have done the Costco shoulders, and they are great quality, and cook up nice! Enjoy!!! Be sure and research on the site for lots of great tips and recipes, cook times, etc. Lots of real eggsperts on this site.
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  • Garyinchicago
    Garyinchicago Posts: 22
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    So the concensus here is not to pay the high cost at the butcher and just get what they have at Costco?

    While I have had good luck with ribs at Costco, I get nervous about having 15 people over for pulled pork and be second guessing myself that I bought the wrong cut of meat or something.

    One more crazy question related to this...If i do buy the Costco shoulder (or hopefully Boston Butt as you guys think), how many days can I keep it in the cryovac in my fridge before needing to cook it?

    Thanks again everyone.
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    Yes buy it at the WHSE club, not butcher. Should keep fine in cryo for several days in fridge, but look at the date to be sure.
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    Whoa, $5.50/lb for a butt?? I think he was planning on taking the rest of the day off!

    Yes, go to Sam's or Costco and ask for a package of butts. It should be around $1.50/lb, weigh in the neighborhood of 13-17 pounds and contain two (2) butts.
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  • Cactus Doug
    Cactus Doug Posts: 341
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    The butts labeled as shoulder at my local costco cook up just fine, and are usually dated on the price tag. The only problem is that some people use the bone as an indicator of doneness, when the bone wiggles its done. Your local supermarket should have this cut it is usually in the case cut in half, just ask the butcher he probably has whole ones in the back. Here in LosAngeles latino grocers always have butts at good prices, as it is a popular cut to turn into carnitas.
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  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
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    As an indication, pork butt is on sale here at $0.79/pound. At $5.50 your butcher must be trying to pay off his new boat in one weekend. :ermm:
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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    Wow, great price. I just bought 47 pounds of it at Sam's and they hooked me for $1.58/#.
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  • tommyL
    tommyL Posts: 11
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    Hello Gary.
    I'm a NOOOOOOB and this is my first post. about your question on pork butts:
    I think that they mean the shoulder. I was watching a show done by "americas test kitchen" or something about "Cooks Country Kitchen". (not sure) and they talked about pork shoulders and butts.

    They had this recipe where you put the shoulder into a dutch oven and baked it (in an ordinary electric oven) for about 12 hours and always making sure that there was some liquid in the bottom of the Dutch oven enclosure. (I like to use white wine... )
    The LONG cooking time (as explained in the show) was to reduce the cartilage and membranes into mush so that the whole thing became tender and edible.

    Now I have tried this, and it's INCREDIBLE. So here's the part about me being a NOOOB. I have not tried this with an EGG.

    I have just taken delivery of a large EGG 2 days ago. I wish you GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EGG.
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  • TheDirtyBurger
    TheDirtyBurger Posts: 846
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    Gary
    This is literally the last time I am reaching out to you. EMAIL ME!!!! I can tell you places where to get good/cheap meat. If you need help I can help you. Just let me know.
    tim

    timmyshitz@yahoo.com
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  • tommyL
    tommyL Posts: 11
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    Hello Gary.
    I'm a NOOOOOOB and this is my first post. about your question on pork butts:
    I think that they mean the shoulder. I was watching a show done by "americas test kitchen" or something about "Cooks Country Kitchen". (not sure) and they talked about pork shoulders and butts.

    They had this recipe where you put the shoulder into a dutch oven and baked it (in an ordinary electric oven) for about 12 hours and always making sure that there was some liquid in the bottom of the Dutch oven enclosure. (I like to use white wine... )
    The LONG cooking time (as explained in the show) was to reduce the cartilage and membranes into mush so that the whole thing became tender and edible.

    Now I have tried this, and it's INCREDIBLE. So here's the part about me being a NOOOB. I have not tried this with an EGG.

    I have just taken delivery of a large EGG 2 days ago. I wish you GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EGG.
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  • thailandjohn
    thailandjohn Posts: 952
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    There is a lot of misunderstanding on what a Shoulder is and what is a Butt Like stated above a Butt is part of a Shoulder

    What most Costco's sell are boneless Butts.

    I have never seen a whole Shoulder in a Costco

    I can buy bone in Butts at our local business Costco and all others around me sell only boneless and in my opinion, bone in is the better choice for BBQing

    On my website below, I show a whole Shoulder


    http://jvp.smugmug.com/Barbeque




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  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
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    In this case:
    cartilage = collagen ;)
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