Butt vs Picnic cuts


 
J

J Reyes

TVWBB Pro
First post...

Anyone have a preference for which cut of shoulder comes out best on a WSM.

I tried the picnic cut but never the butt. I haven't quite gotten the picnic cut to be a moist enough cut to pull similar to some of the photos I've seen of the butt cuts. The last one I smoked was taken off at 190 and foil wrapped for another 2 hours but needed to be sliced rather than pulled.

I did baste once before foiling.

I believe the picnic comes out drier and cooks quicker because most are leaner cuts.

Any thoughts?

John
 
Butts generally produce more moist results as compared to picnics. Picnic "dryness" is a common observation. Not that one couldn't take measures to enhance picnic moistness, but I would say you would probably prefer butts, once you've tried one.
 
John, cooked many Picnics, and they are a leaner cut. I never took them over 190, but they all pulled fine. Injecting Picnics is almost standard with me, while almost never injecting Butts.
 
I always cooked butts until the place I bought them "Sams" quality went down hill. I have since been cooking shoulders and im happy about that change. Mr White is what im after for comps and cant find any in butts recently. Bad luck maybe or stupidity, but I know what I want.
 
Butts and picnics, of course, are both cuts from the shoulder of the pig. My preference is clearly the bone-in butt,; however I have cooked a few picinics. My observation was a little less fat in the meat giving it a tendenacy to be a little drier. Nevertheless, when I happen upon a picnic at a great price, I don't hesitate to purchase.

Paul
 
I tried picnics a couple times, but prefer butts. More edible bark, and it's hard to beat that grey meat in the cove of the blade bone.
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I have cooked both and for the most part cook them both in the same manner. My friends and others don't seem to notice the difference or claim a preference.

I like the Picnics for the price and will cook them for lunches at the office, parties and other gatherings.

I like the butts for competition. They seem to be slightly moister, slightly more tender, pull well and render more bark for the judges.

Just my 2 cents.
 
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