What is the difference between picnic roast and boston butt

Can you use a picnic roast for pulled pork? In your grocery store, you will usually find this divided into two cuts, the Boston butt cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the shoulder from the front leg , and the picnic roast.

Either of these cuts are good for pulled pork, but I prefer the Boston butt. What is the best cut of pork for pulled pork? What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork? Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. Both come from the shoulder of the pig, but pork butt is higher on the foreleg, while pork shoulder is farther down.

As relatively tough and fatty cuts, both benefit from long, slow cooking methods such as roasting, stewing, and braising. But the cuts are different enough that we generally prefer pork butt. A pork shoulder is one of the four primals we break from a pig. Apparently butts are named after the barrels pork used to be stored in around the time of the Revolutionary War; they were called butts. And the reason butts are often called Boston butts is because they were considered a New England specialty.

Like pork butt, picnic shoulder benefits from long and slow cooking. Picnic shoulder can also be cooked whole and then served sliced, almost like ham. Rather than the traditional pork shoulder roast, use pork sirloin roast for your pulled pork. This cut is also more accurately referred to as the picnic shoulder or pork shoulder. The picnic ham is smoked, which gives it a very hamlike flavor.

You want your pork to be pull-apart tender—an indication that the connective tissue has broken down—but not so cooked that the muscle fibers themselves start to lose structure and turn to mush. Shopping for pork shoulder can get confusing.

To even the most experienced BBQers, shopping for different cuts of meat can get intimidating and confusing. End the panic and end the confusion. It is a great resource to always keep in your back pocket. Already know what you are throwing on the grill? In fact, when someone is referring to Pork Butt, they are actually referring to the shoulder of a pig.

To complicate matters even more, our good friends up in Boston were cutting pork shoulder in such a way that it was referred to as the Boston Butt in other regions of the country as well. Take a look at the image below. The shoulder of the pig is the meatiest part closest to the spine of the pig. When cut, it will be rectangular in shape and more times than not, you will find part of the bone still in the cut.

For example, a raw pound pork shoulder or two 5-pounders will yield about 6 pounds of finished meat, serving 12 to 18 people. Summary Place pork in a foil pan. Apply mustard and my original rub to top and bottom of pork butt. Using a large carving knife, cut the meat into large pieces. To shred, insert two forks into a piece of meat and pull in opposite directions to get long, thin shreds. Repeat with remaining meat. Place pulled pork in a large bowl.

What is the difference between picnic roast and Boston butt? Category: food and drink barbecues and grilling. Boston butt comes from high on the hog, above the shoulder blade, and has lots of juicy, marbled fat. This is probably what most people buy when they purchase pork shoulder in a grocery store. A picnic ham is what East Coast uses for their pulled pork.

What cut is best for pulled pork? The Shoulder Cut. Does pork loin work for pulled pork? Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe:. How many minutes per pound do you cook a pork shoulder? How long do I cook a pork shoulder at ? What goes with pulled pork? Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. Can you shred a pork loin?

The difference is that a pork shoulder isn't nearly as tough as a beef shoulder. A chuck roast is really only useful when it's slow-cooked or braised until it's falling-apart tender.

Boston butt works great that way, too — that's how pulled pork is made — but you can also cook it as a conventional roast, and serve it sliced for dinner or in sandwiches. Fred Decker is a trained chef, former restaurateur and prolific freelance writer, with a special interest in all things related to food and nutrition. His work has appeared online on major sites including Livestrong.

Choose a Roast From Anywhere One of the reasons pork is so versatile is that you can pick a roast from almost anywhere on the animal. Cut It Down A whole pork shoulder is a seriously large cut. Compare and Contrast A Boston butt roast has a lot in common with chuck roasts, the comparable cut of beef.