Boneless Pork Shoulder woes

[Bradley Mack]

FYI: Shoulder vs Butt

Shoulder vs. Pork Butt​

Traditionally, cuts labeled pork shoulder (including picnic shoulder) are from the thinner, triangle-shaped end of the shoulder whereas the pork butt or Boston butt is from the thicker, more intensely marbled end above it. Note that both are from the front limbs, not the hindquarters.

Pork shoulder is a bit better for cooking whole and slicing, whereas pork butt is perfect for making pulled pork and other recipes in which the meat is cooked until it falls apart. The marbled streaks of fat that run through it help the meat fall apart more easily once it is tender.

Both, however, are great cut up and used as stew meat and in chili. You can use them interchangeably in most recipes, although some recipes will be quite specific.

What Is Pork Shoulder?

Pork shoulder is an inexpensive cut from the front leg of the hog. Braising tenderizes it, or you can use it as stew meat or ground pork.

www.thespruceeats.com

@Bradley Mack , recco you buy butts as that's what most people are using for PP. it renders down on LAS cooks. ima thinking your cut of shoulder is doing you in. i didn't realize this until @Bob Bass called it out.

Interesting! I didn’t realize there was a significant difference. I’ll give this a try for sure!

 

[Teddy J.]

So wait, did Bradley cook a picnic or a butt?

If picnic, then the results are not surprising. When it’s time to foil, I prefer to cook my picnics in a foiled pan covered, this way it can simmer in the juices and really steam. Picnics and butts to me are different cooks, and the end result I use differently. Although I do love the big shank you get after cooking a picnic, it always gets repurposed for soup.

 

[Bob Bass]

use the pics to figure out which one was cooked here.

obvs the butchers are using whatevs names they want on meat cuts.

How true !
In this article's 2nd picture, the group of 3 pictures... In the top left picture, the Money Muscle is missing... !

 

[Bruno]

 

[John K BBQ]

LOL Bruno - supporting someone's earlier statement that the labels are inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate. I had trouble with a picnic cut a long time ago and I'm really unlikely to try that again.

 

[timothy]

Picnics make a fine Roast. I never tried to pull one but did have a whole shoulder where the picnic and butt were mixed together.
The rind makes for some fine cracklins and it's what I prefer for Pernil or Latin roasted pork.

 

[Brian Lee]

Picnics make a fine Roast. I never tried to pull one but did have a whole shoulder where the picnic and butt were mixed together.
The rind makes for some fine cracklins and it's what I prefer for Pernil or Latin roasted pork.

+1 on roasting picnics. Diamond slicing the skins produces awesome cracklins!

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

+1 on roasting picnics. Diamond slicing the skins produces awesome cracklins!

Make that 2! Hard to find skin on anything around here, and no one has given me a straight answer as to why!

 

[KToliver]

I dunno...with pork butts or the Costco shoulders, I run hotter. No water. Generally 250-275. I'll usually let it ride out the stall to around 170-175F before I wrap and I've never had a "tough" one. Probe when they hit 205F until really tender. They always pull really well.

 

[Evan-MA]

One mistake you could be making is that you’re relying solely on temperature, and not taking the feel of the meat into consideration. At 165, did you try and poke the pork? Was it springy or did your finger sink right in? I won’t wrap my pork butt until my finger sinks right into the far cap, regardless if it’s at or above my target temp.
Crosshatch the fat cap and use a mustard binder with whatever seasoning You have available. Keep the pit around 250-275 and use a full waterpan. Apple and hickory are good woods to use. Test for tenderness when it reaches 170. If it passes the poke test, wrap the butt in tinfoil and throw it in the oven at 350(blasphemy!). Let it rest for a few hours when It reaches 205. Then pull the pork and reserve its juices.

 

[Mack Manning]

One mistake you could be making is that you’re relying solely on temperature, and not taking the feel of the meat into consideration. At 165, did you try and poke the pork? Was it springy or did your finger sink right in? I won’t wrap my pork butt until my finger sinks right into the far cap, regardless if it’s at or above my target temp.
Crosshatch the fat cap and use a mustard binder with whatever seasoning You have available. Keep the pit around 250-275 and use a full waterpan. Apple and hickory are good woods to use. Test for tenderness when it reaches 170. If it passes the poke test, wrap the butt in tinfoil and throw it in the oven at 350(blasphemy!). Let it rest for a few hours when It reaches 205. Then pull the pork and reserve its juices.

This. Once the bark is set, I don't fiddle around tending a fire. Finish on the gas grill or oven, depending on the weather.

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

Just about everyone means "butt" when they say pork shoulder. If they really mean shoulder then they'll say "whole shoulder."

I usually have better results cooking them at lower temps (225 to 275) as far as even cooking. If it's boneless, it might make sense to use some butcher's twine to truss it up to cook more evenly if you have parts flapping around. Some people debone it and spread it out on purpose to get everything cooked to an optimum temperature (like Donna Fong) but that's a really advanced technique. Watch this if you want your mind blown:

 

[Chris in Louisiana]

I don't wrap butts, but I have noticed that other foiled meats may give a "false" high temp read when in the foil, and once unwrapped will read significantly lower. That could be part of your issue.

When resting, try wrapping the foiled butt in a towel and putting it in an ice chest. It will stay hot as ever and keep getting tender in there. I don't do that with butts, but it is great with brisket so may help you get to where you want.