Pork Butt vs Picnic

[Rusty James]

Do any of you here have a preference?

I have tried both, and I am leaning towards the picnic cut for taste. Not that butts are bad, but I feel that picnic tastes better.

Tomorrow, I will be smoking both (with the same rub) to do a comparison. My first picnic was smoked on a kettle grill with little rub and a lot of hickory. My first butt was smoked on the WSM with a more complex rub found here. Both tasted good, but I thought the picnic meat resembled a flavor found in some nearby BBQ joints.

 

[W Tyler]

Picnic seems more fatty vs the pork butt. And while the picnic usually costs less per pound, the huge Brontosaurus-sized bone adds a lot of weight that can't be consumed. So I prefer the butt (PORK, that is...).

 

[DaveW]

Quite a few people use both when making PP. When you do your side by side comparison, grab a handful of each pulled, mix them together and see what you think.

 

[Rusty James]

I finally started smoking both cuts at 2:00 pm, today, using Royal Oak lump. Lower vents have been at 25% for the entire cook, so far, and the heat is holding very well between 250 and 275. The meat should be done after midnight, tonight, if these high smoking temps hold up.

So far, I have been very impressed with Roy Oak lump, but this cook still has a ways to go yet.

 

[Rusty James]

Just about midnight, and the smoker temps have held up fairly well so far. I did stoke the fire a couple of times and added a bit more lump.

 

[Rusty James]

I pulled the cuts about 1:15 am, last night (after a reading of 195 to 200 on the butt); wrapped them in foil, and placed them in a cold oven until my wife separated the meat after daybreak. The butt was on the top rack, and the picnic was on the lower. We thought the butt had a better smokey flavor, but the picnic wasn't that bad either (I used one apple and three hickory chunks for smoke). After doing this experiment, I think we prefer the butt cuts for now, and yes, there *is* more meat in a butt, and they are usually cheaper, too (I think).

My biggest joy was using Royal Oak lump (8.8 pound bag - $6.78). I was able to keep smoking temps between 250 and 275 for many hours with vents at 25% or so using the Minion method. However, I had to stoke the fire and add the remainder of the bag at about the 7 to 8 hour mark. I have some excess coals left over in the smoker, but not much. Another plus was the lack of surplus ashes in the bottom of the pit, so there was plenty of air space to keep the coals happy. Royal Oak (or some other quality brand) lump sounds like the fuel to use in colder weather since it burns so hot.

I also smoked 15 fat sausages, and they are yummy.

Oh, by the way, I used the water pan for what it's worth. I assume smoker temps would have been higher without it - and there were times when the temps fluctuated between 275 and 300. Usually after removing the lid.