Is there a difference between picnic and the butt

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fisher6688

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 20, 2014
205
16
Dallas, Texas
got a picnic shoulder from wal mart. is the only difference just an additional bone inside of it? just smoke per the instructions of the pork sticky?
 
Yes as long as it's not a skin on picnic treat it just like a butt
 
A whole pork shoulder is comprised of the butt and the picnic.  You can also purchase each one separately.
 
 
Yes as long as it's not a skin on picnic treat it just like a butt
yea i thought it was a layer of fat through the packaging but it is actually the skin. i tried my best to take the skin off without taking off all the fat. i got it rubbed down and plastic wrapped for tomorrow. 
 
You can wrap at 170 but cook til the bone wiggles easy or it probes very easy.
 
what temps are yall running at? 225, 250, 275. which would you prefer. mine will definitely fluctuate, but whats a good temp to shoot for. 

okay so probably a guess of 1 to 1.5 hours per lb and start probing it to see if it is done. im gonna wrap it at 170 and let it go in the oven if i run out of wood tomorrow. but if it were to go in the oven or stay wrapped on the smoker you would continue the temp that you were smoking at?
 
1.5 hours a pound is about right and I always shoot for 225-250. However I did cook a butt at around 300-350 a few weeks ago and it cooked way faster and it was just as good!

Some people swear by hot and fast and I'm starting to believe as well.
 
1.5 hours a pound is about right and I always shoot for 225-250. However I did cook a butt at around 300-350 a few weeks ago and it cooked way faster and it was just as good!

Some people swear by hot and fast and I'm starting to believe as well.
gosh so even if my temps spike from 275 to 300 it should be just fine! this is good news. 
 
1.5 hours a pound is about right and I always shoot for 225-250. However I did cook a butt at around 300-350 a few weeks ago and it cooked way faster and it was just as good!

Some people swear by hot and fast and I'm starting to believe as well.
are you still wrapping at 170 when you are going hot and fast?
 
When I went hot and fast I actually wrapped at 175 and finished it in the oven (200 degrees). I turned the oven off when it hit 200 and opened it for a few to let some heat out and then let it foiled in the oven for about and hour and a half. Came out great! I was actually surprised.
 
1.5 hours a pound is about right and I always shoot for 225-250. However I did cook a butt at around 300-350 a few weeks ago and it cooked way faster and it was just as good!

Some people swear by hot and fast and I'm starting to believe as well.


I am one of those people! Hot and fast is he way to go, especially if you need it ready on a schedule. Only difference I see is crustier bark which I love.
 
Yeah the bark was nice on the hot and fast and who can argue with doing it hot and fast if your on a right schedule. However I'm not the kinda guy who likes to put my name on Q until I have my methods and ways all figured out. With that said I'll try hot and fast a few more times to make sure I get the same results before I invite family and friends over to try it.
 
Hey Fisher I just made pulled pork from a picnic last weekend. It was a 6.5 pounder, smoked it for about 4 hours with cherry and lump at 220-230 then wrapped it up (roaster pan, covered, with some mop sauce), put it back on for 2 hours at about 240. Pulled it off and it sat in a cooler for 6 hours but it was oh so tender when I went to pull it, and everyone loved it.
 
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I should note I didn't INTEND for it to sit in the cooler for 6 hours...we went to a friend's memorial weekend shindig and ended up being there til midnight! I was told 2 hours is generally sufficient
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Picnic, removing Skin, this can be used for cracklins
  • The bone on the picnic is best left intact.






Butts
  • Fat cap scored
  • Fat Cap removed

Fat can be used for other things such as rendering for lard. I sometimes place the fat on the pit, (if there's room) and let it render into the drip pan.
  • Removing bone from Butt, I usually do not debone Butts or Picnics, Deboning is not necessary but this was deboned to make Buck Board Bacon.



There's another layer of Fat underneath the Fat cap called a False Cap, I usually leave this alone.

My best cooks have been with a mix of Butts/Picnics

Yield on a Butt is around 50 percent and a picnic 40 percent, conservatively speaking.

My opinion is that the picnic meat is usually slightly sweeter and the meat seems a bit more tender (I use that word loosely) The butts meat seem to have a bit more body... if that makes sense.
 
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