What is this??? Need your help figuring this one out...

[adam clyde]

OK, I was at my local supermarket last night and saw this hunk of meat. It was labeled pork shoulder picnic. Now, I've cooked a lot of picnics and this was no picnic.

I'll try to take a picture in a few minutes... In the meantime I'll try to describe. It is 6 pounds. Facing up looks like half a rack of baby back ribs (concave side facing out, of course). Attached to the other side is a big roast. At first, I thought it was probably pork loin, with the ribs attached. Figured I'd pick it up and cut my own chops.

Then I looked from the side and the meat looks really dark red and marbled... totally like a pork butt. Then, if I look at it from the opposite side, it has the pale, unmarbled meat just like a pork loin.

so, all I can think of is the butcher didn't have a clue what he was doing and left part of the shoulder attached to the loin attached to the ribs.

What am I looking at? What should I do with this thing... I suppose I could separate it. Get some ribs or some chops, as well as some pork butt scraps?

Oh.. it was only $1.50/pound, so I just had to buy it to meet the challenge.

 

[Al Silverman]

Play butcher and separate the rib lookin' part from the shoulder lookin' part and cook as you normally would. At $1.50 a pound you can't go too wrong.

Al

 

[adam clyde]

yeah, I probably will do that. What a weird cut of meat...

so the next question is... was the butcher drunk? or do some people actually look for this cut?

 

[K Kruger]

It sounds like the blade end of the loin attached to the blade. If they were cutting picnics at the time he cut a picnic too far into the shoulder. That would leave what you have. The attached blade end of the loin would/should have been cut off but he probably thought "then what?" (Easier to stick it in a package and stick on the already printed label.)

Take the blade off and chunk it--can you say Cochinita Pibil?

That's what on for dinner tonight here.

 

[adam clyde]

Thanks Kev...

I'm holding out on conchinita pibil until a certain santa claus stops by with a few sour oranges...

Actually, I think it will make good bone-in chops... Looks like most of it is loin with ribs attached. I think a bit of the shoulder is attached... not sure though until I unpackaged and start cutting. Once the kids are in bed, I'm going to start playing mr. butcher.