Picnic ham vs Butt

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jerseyhunter

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Jan 12, 2008
560
18
The Woods of Jersey
I have a picnic ham I was going to smoke. Can I substitute it instead of pork butt in my sausage makings, I'll probably be making summer sausage with venison and also breakfast and Italian sausage.
 
You should be alright with that IMO.

Lower part of the shoulder vs top part........little leaner, but not by a heck of a lot.
 
When I go to my butcher I always order picnics over butts, about 10 cents a pound cheaper. Also when my butcher makes sausage to sell, he uses picnics for processing. Since he is a pro, and I am not I figure I will do the same.
 
I cann't see any problem with swapping the meats. They are still pork from about the same part of the pig so. But then I'm not the sausage guru he's in here somewhere. I just a newbie to the sausage world but learning alot quickly too.
 
Yes you can. They're a bit cheaper but they're wastier, averaging out to about the same price per pound once boned, skinned and trimmed. You'll notice a little stronger flavor in the shoulder vs. the butt as it is used more for locomotion and weight-bearing more than the butt. You can temper the flavor by mixing butt and shoulder for more bulk, too.
 
Thanks guys , I was more worried about the fat content but I could always eye that up and rectify if need be. Since I'll be adding spices I'm not to worried about any tast difference in the final product. I don't mind wasting the picnic but to waste venison is sacrilegious. Actually I hate wasting anything.
 
Brought this back up after doing a search to see differences between should and butt.

When is the price difference worth the effort to go with the picnic over the butt since there is more waste on the picnic.

Butt "on sale" usually is $1.19/1.29.

Picnic is "on sale" for $.99.

Which is the better deal?

Will be mixing with venison for sausage.

And since we talking about deal.... what is a great price for butts usually?
 
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Yes you can. They're a bit cheaper but they're wastier, averaging out to about the same price per pound once boned, skinned and trimmed. You'll notice a little stronger flavor in the shoulder vs. the butt as it is used more for locomotion and weight-bearing more than the butt. You can temper the flavor by mixing butt and shoulder for more bulk, too.
Once again, Pops is on point.
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I buy all my butts by the case and usually pay between 1.00 and 1.29 per pound.

case price at Sams and restaurant Depot are always 10 -15cents less than buying them individual cyro pac
 
I buy all my butts by the case and usually pay between 1.00 and 1.29 per pound.

case price at Sams and restaurant Depot are always 10 -15cents less than buying them individual cyro pac
have you noticed the case price at sams have gone up. I havent seen 1.00 per lb in a while. lately it been between 1.29 and 1.89 case price at sams.
frown.gif
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I also agree with pops. He saves me alot of typing
 
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