Pork Butt Confusion

wannabeegger

I am cooking my first pork butt tonight and into tomorrow. I when by the store and grab a 7.24 lbs shoulder. Got it home and started put the rub on it and realized it didn't look like a normal shoulder. Let me know what you think it is or of it is actually a butt.

Smokinpig

Is it one piece? Is it boneless?

wannabeegger

Yes it's one piece and has a bone in the top left corner of that picture.

Smokinpig

Was it labeled shoulder? If it is just a butt they cut it poorly. If it was labeled shoulder it could have parts of the picnic meat attached but at 7 pounds that would surprise me. Hard to say from the pic.

Acn

I think it is just cut really poorly.  It looks like the bone in the upper left has very little meat below it, is that correct?  It almost looks like they tried to debone it, but ended up just slicing beneath the bone and butterflying it.

johnkitchens

It is kind of odd looking. Maybe a new guy cut that one. 

gdenby

With the rub on it, its harder to tell. I don't know of any common cuts that have as many small muscles and veins of fat & connective tissue. Not a part of a ham or picnic that I can recognize.

As above, seems like an oddly cut piece of shoulder.

The cooking time depends in part on the volume of the meat. As you show it laid out, it may cook faster than average, and the thinnest portion might dry before the thicker is tender.

grege345

Ya deaf looks butterflied. You'll have to keep an eye on it near the end. I also believe its going to cook faster. May wanna turbo that one. It's pretty hard to screw up. Let us know how it goes

SGH

My old eyes ain't what they use to be but it looks like a poorly butterflied butt with part of the anterior deltoid ligament still attached. (Poor trimming). I could be off by miles though.

Hotch

If it is one piece of meat, get some butcher twine, fold it up and tie it into a cube if you can.

If it is a shoulder or butt it will cook the same. You could trim the flap off if you like.

I have had to do this with a few bone out butts in the past.

So put it on, and pop a top. I will be fine.

saluki2007

Maybe they were trying to make it look like a butt?

jhl192

Pork Butt Confusion... Wasn't that a song by the Temptations back in the 70's? ..... And the Butt goes on!

wannabeegger

I had planned on a 14 hour cook, how long do you think now. I am serving at 4 pm tomorrow.

Ladeback69

What temp are you smoking it at? If around 250 I would guessentially about 1.5 hours per pound. Remember pork can take a little more heat and you can up it to 275 or 300 if you need toward the end. I've done 2 9 pounders at 350 to 400 in 6 hours. If you want more smoke flavor go low and slow.

lkapigian

If it's pork it will be good

Smokinpig

How did it turn out?