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Question - Shoulder versus butt

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AllTheKingsMen
AllTheKingsMen Posts: 29
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I've always thought pork shoulder = butt. So when my wife said Costco had pork shoulders I told her to pick up a couple, figuring they just didn't want to list them as butts, sort of like they call the fish orange roughy instead of what it used to be known as, "slimehead."[p]However, when I got home, I noticed two things. First, it was boneless, and then it weighed almost 15#. Given everything I've read here was 6-8# on average, and bone-in, I'm suspicious I don't have quite the right cut here. Did I mention I have two? At least they were dirt cheap.[p]So I'm planning on starting these tomorrow night (and yes, we'll be freezing leftovers). Questions:
1. Am I going to end up with some reasonable impersonation of pulled pork?
2. Am I looking at a 30 hour cook given the 15# weight and, if so, can I cut that down by cutting into half? I've read here it is the weight of each butt, not the total, that drives the cook time, so I'm assuming cut in half would help, although I'm not sure why since it isn't all that much extra surface area.
3. What other uses for pork shoulder? If I grind it am I on my way to a potentially hugemongous fatty!?
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    allTheKingsMen,[p]With all due respect here....have you unwrapped the package to confirm it is one piece of meat or just two 7# boneless butts in the same package? I would doubt that they would bone out a whole shoulder and package same.[p]I've been wrong before....[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Flashback Bob
    Flashback Bob Posts: 519
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    allTheKingsMen,
    The Butts I've seen are usually two to a package and boneless. The Picnic shoulders are one to a package and bone-in.
    But as a wise man recently said, I've been wrong before.
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  • Charles in SC
    Charles in SC Posts: 142
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    allTheKingsMen,
    The Wal-Mart near me sells bonless shoulders. I cooked a few of them and they were fine. You might want to tie it in a roll but it will cook just like a butt, about the same time. The time has more to do with the thickest part.
    A shoulder is not any thicker than a butt even though it is heavier.
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  • AllTheKingsMen
    AllTheKingsMen Posts: 29
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    thirdeye,
    eh, no, that's good thinking there. Was just planning to unwrap, rub, and chuck on the egg tomorrow. Had thought about rubbing tonight, but per Elder Ward recipe- he sees no difference so I figured why make more mess than I need.[p]That would simplify things. I'm now thinking of grinding up one half of one (or a whole one if there are two in there) for sausage anyway.
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  • AllTheKingsMen
    AllTheKingsMen Posts: 29
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    thirdeye,
    well, I've examined the cryopak closely without opening, and if there are two pieces in there they are having a really intimate relationship ;-)[p]looks like one big piece o' pig to me
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  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
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    allTheKingsMen,
    The butt is part of a shoulder, but not the same thing as a shoulder. When they separate the two pieces, I think that the other piece is called a picnic, but I could be wrong on that. Usually, when you get a shoulder, the skin is still on. I like the skin when it gets crispy!!!, but you can remove it if you want.
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  • Poolman
    Poolman Posts: 17
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    allTheKingsMen,
    I have purchased the same cryopak in Maryland and had the same confusion. The butcher at Costco explained that it truely is a pork shoulder... the boston butt and the picnic together in each package. I prefer the butt, but the two smoked and pulled together make excellent pulled pork. In my experience, you are looking at a much faster cook. My 21 pound "boneless pork shoulder" hit 205 after 11.5 hours at a steady 225 degrees.[p]Hope this helps,[p]Poolman

    ~~~~~~~

    Poolman

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  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
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    Poolman,
    Wow, that is fast. Are you going to hang around Atlanta after the Bio Labs thing for Eggtoberfest? -RP
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,767
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    allTheKingsMen,
    a shoulder is a butt and picnic, both make pulled pork. i actually prefer the cheaper picnic for pull as it seems more flavorful. if it bothers you to cook such a large piece, just cut it in half. like others have said, there is a good chance there is 2 butts in there, but either way its fine.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    I do them all the time -- in fact I have a pack on the egg right now that I put on last night at 10PM (163* internal). [p]I've done bone in butts in the past and I really haven't notice any real discernible difference in flavor. Slap 'em with some Dijon and dry rub, throw 'em on the egg with some hickory chunks and let 'em low slow. No difference between the two in my opinion.

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