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Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder?

markprewitt
markprewitt Posts: 20
edited August 2012 in Pork
All - I have always used Boston Butts to do my pulled pork but thinking about trying another cut of pork. Costco has great prices on Pork Shoulders.....what are the pros/cons of this option? What are your favorite pork cuts?
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Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 33,910
    I enjoy the Boston Butts or anything I can find bone-in.  I believe the Costco cuts are two-packs and boneless however, there are many who buy their pork cuts from Costco so I'm sure they will be along.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,132
    A Boston butt is a pork shoulder. Same thing.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • markprewitt
    markprewitt Posts: 20
    Ok, but bone-in is probably better huh?....the boneless looks messy and scattered out of the package.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,132
    I prefer bone in but the boneless Costco butts are ok. Very little difference in the end but given the choice, bone in for me.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583

    If what your Costco has are Whole Pork Shoulders it contains the Boston Butt.  It would weigh 15-20lbs. If it is an 8-10lb shoulder it is a Picnic Shoulder; the bottom (leg) portion of the whole shoulder. 

    In the northeast whole shoulder is hard to come by. I've cooked faux shoulder using one butt and one picinic and mixed them when pulled.  The flesh turns out about the same when cooked properly.  Some say the picinic is sweeter .. I might agree with that.  I recently roasted a picnic and sliced it - it's a fun cut with the marbling of different muscles.

    Butts are typically smaller than picnics thus cook faster.  They have no skin so there is more bark.  There is only the one small bone and are thus easier to pull.  I enjoy both really.

    Among my other favorite cuts just in general.. center cut porterhouse style chop.  Awesome for grilling.

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  • mizeatl
    mizeatl Posts: 13
    My first ever pork butt cook was with Costco boneless pork butts. It turned out terrific and moist. Today will be bone in though. I'm not convinced it matters.
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 33,910
    mizeatl said:
    My first ever pork butt cook was with Costco boneless pork butts. It turned out terrific and moist. Today will be bone in though. I'm not convinced it matters.

    From a taste perspective you are right-that said, I find the bone-in easier to judge the doneness (word??) by-bone pulls with no resistance=done.  But just an opinion and we all know what those are worth-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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