Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder?

Rob H

I have done a few 5 lb. or so Boston Butts for pulled pork with great success. When were in grocery store yesterday looking at another B.B., the meat dept. guy suggested using a pork shoulder. He said that it would be a leaner piece of meat. The good thing was they were on sale and I picked up a 9-3/4 lb job. I started it a 3:30 yesterday afternoon and it's now going on 10:30 a.m. and the Polder says 178. [p]I'm soon to find out how this cut will be. This has the heavy skin on one side and the bone, where the B.B.'s don't. I was curious as to what to expect and is there anything I should do differently for pulling it apart.[p]Thanks in advance.

Grumpa

Rob H,[p]I think you are about to have a treat. The shoulder is a little different from the BB in that it has ham as well as butt meat together. I think the butcher may have been a little off base when he told you it was leaner as I have always found it to be the opposite. [p]Use all the same methods as you would for the BB including the pulling when finished. I have always enjoyed the shoulder over the BB when I can find a good one. Let us know how how it turns out and how you like it compared to a BB.[p]Bob

Unknown

Rob H, I agree with Bob, I always use the "Picnic" cut. That's what they are labeled here. We seldom see a BB., but that suits me fine. I have found the picnic roasts to be fatter than BB's but more tender and tastier.

Unknown

Rob H, A whole pork shoulder consist of two distinct parts 1) the butt (commonly referred to as a 'boston' butt and 2) the picnic. It has nothing to do with a ham, although a whole ham does have a part also called a butt as well as a shank. For whatever its worth, in KCBS contests, which are judged primarily for flavor and tenderness, the 'boston' butt is nearly always chosen as the pork entry by the cooking teams.