Pork butt question for the sausage makers?

[DougE]

Agree 100%. I shoot for 30% fat. Fat is flavor.

Anywhere between 70/30 and 80/20 works for me.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Give this one a look too, D Dave in AZ

It's a delicious breakfast sausage.

More Cumberland sausage

This Cumberland sausage is so good. Another 5# going down. The fresh minced sage with the little mace hit is pure magic.

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Thx Doug, will do! I have liked the spice amounts in the other SmokinEdge recipes I've tried. You know, I don't know that I've ever had Cumberland sausage, despite living in England for 3 years. Unless the bangers I had at breakfast were actually Cumberland. I like the "cook in one big coil" thing though!

 

[thirdeye]

Lol... we should just stop calling them "butts" and just call them by correct name, shoulders.

I have never bought a whole boneless shoulder as long as I been at this.

The upper part we call the butt is actually a shoulder and the leg portion is referred to as a picnic ham.

Hmmm, this is what I call a shoulder.

 

[uncle eddie]

Lurking....

 

[DougE]

Hmmm, this is what I call a shoulder.
View attachment 702078

Looks to be a shoulder and picnic still in one piece. I wouldn't call it a shoulder any more than I'd call a chicken leg quarter a thigh ............ but ok.

 

[chopsaw]

Whole pork shoulder . Best way to buy them

 

[zwiller]

However most every whole butt from the grocery store is trimmed.

That is my thinking. I seriously doubt the average shoulder sold in stores nowadays does not have it trimmed off. I went hunting for it quite a few times but never found one. Consequently, l no longer worry about it.

Thanks for the info.
I'll still pass on the bone-in shoulder/roasts from here on out.

You could even go so far as to find ground pork. I did a long time. I can actually get it cheaper than butt if I get 25lbs.

Any you guys have preference with cushion over butts? $1/lb cheaper here.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Any you guys have preference with cushion over butts? $1/lb cheaper here.

Pork cushion is typically cut, boneless, from the picnic, below the butt. Nothing wrong with either but plan on adding fat as that lower part is low on fat.

 

[uncle eddie]

Whole pork shoulder . Best way to buy them

chopsaw Where do you buy that combo-cut? I do like a picnic roast a bit more as I think it has better fat...but a combo would be just right in my mind. A little more trimming for a better end product...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Whole pork shoulder . Best way to buy them

We rarely see those around here, they're always separated and sold individually. I like fresh picnics to smoke for the skin. At the end of the cook, crisp it up on a hot fire or remove and place under a broiler until crispy...

 

[chopsaw]

Where do you buy that combo-cut?

The whole front leg ? That was 2021 during Covid days . I got that at Gordon's food service . I think they were putting out whatever they could get . Didn't have any butts , but had 2 of those on the shelf .
They also had beef chuck flats , which were bones beef rib . Fantastic cut .
They don't normally stock either one .
I just asked the guy last week about getting me some , and the short answer was no .

If you can find pork cushion , it comes off the front shoulder . Sits between the butt and the picnic . Another good cut for ham or sausage .

I get them 5 to a bag .

Cleaned up . They're pretty lean , but it's nice clean meat .

Straight grind . Makes a nice lean sausage .
.
I'll and some fatty bacon sometimes .

I like to use it for ham sausage . I mix the phosphate injection we like for ham ,
and mix it into the grind . Stuff and smoke . Taste like ham .

 

[thirdeye]

Looks to be a shoulder and picnic still in one piece. I wouldn't call it a shoulder any more than I'd call a chicken leg quarter a thigh ............ but ok.

Yep, you got it. "Pork Shoulder" is just standardized nomenclature for Miss Piggy's front leg.

There are various forms of the whole shoulder, then the sub-parts are called 'Pork Shoulder, Boston Butt' or Pork Shoulder, Picnic etc. The Memphis in May World BBQ Contest has a separate category for whole shoulder, and it's very popular for cooks that don't want to cook a whole hog.

Here is a great video starting showing how neat a shoulder is to work with.

Whole pork shoulder . Best way to buy them
View attachment 702089

You know it. There is something magic about cooking a 16#+ shoulder with all the various muscle groups, sometimes nicknamed the renowned Mr Brown, and Miss White's delight.

Where are you sourcing shoulders? I finally found a local market that will turn in an order on Friday for me to pickup the next week.

 

[chopsaw]

crisp it up on a hot fire or remove and place under a broiler until crispy...

Oh yeah . I usually go in the nuker . Just keep an eye on it , and remove hunks as it gets done .
zaps the fat out of it , more like pork rinds .

 

[chopsaw]

d Mr Brown, and Miss White's delight

Yup . I always say " light and dark " .
That was a one of . I do have a processor not far from me . I bet I can get them there . Need to drop by .

 

[Dave in AZ]

The whole front leg ? That was 2021 during Covid days . I got that at Gordon's food service . I think they were putting out whatever they could get . Didn't have any butts , but had 2 of those on the shelf .
They also had beef chuck flats , which were bones beef rib . Fantastic cut .
They don't normally stock either one .
I just asked the guy last week about getting me some , and the short answer was no .

If you can find pork cushion , it comes off the front shoulder . Sits between the butt and the picnic . Another good cut for ham or sausage .

I get them 5 to a bag .
View attachment 702125
Cleaned up . They're pretty lean , but it's nice clean meat .
View attachment 702126
Straight grind . Makes a nice lean sausage .
.View attachment 702127
I'll and some fatty bacon sometimes .
View attachment 702128
I like to use it for ham sausage . I mix the phosphate injection we like for ham ,
and mix it into the grind . Stuff and smoke . Taste like ham .
View attachment 702129
View attachment 702130

That there is a Taylor Pork Roll! ;) Almost. Looks great, love the cotton bag! I probably make more Taylor Ham i.e. pork roll, than any other large diameter thing. It makes a decent lunch meat too. I see Eric ar 2guysandaCooler is doing pork roll right now... but he is smoking it. Only one of the 5 pork roll brands I've had was smoked, and not Taylor's. Oh well, at least he's making my hometown stuff! ;)

 

[chopsaw]

That there is a Taylor Pork Roll! ;) Almost.

Yeah , in looks . The one that came really close to Taylors Pork roll was a German Bologna I did with a mix from Owens . I added ground bacon in that one too , and if I had used a starter culture and hung a couple days , it would have been right there .
I even stuffed it short .



I'm 40 minutes west of St. Louis , and I can buy Taylor's at an Italian market called Mannino's .

 

[uncle eddie]

I'm 40 minutes west of St. Louis , and I can buy Taylor's at an Italian market called Mannino's .

Whenever we make the trip from central Missouri to STL, we always bring a mess of coolers. We always hit Trader Joe's and DiGregorio's Italian Market (on The Hill). Will be making that trip in about 5 weeks :-) Cleaning out the deep freeze in preparation/anticipation of the upcoming haul.

DiGregorio's Italian Market has a salami they cut so thin, it is nearly see-through, but it is so packed full of flavor, it has to be that thin. We also love the freshly grated Romano/Parmesan cheese blend

Mannino's isn't too far from Hwy 64...I think we will check it out on our way through too.

 

[chopsaw]

DiGregorio's Italian Market has a salami they cut so thin, it is nearly see-through, but it is so packed full of flavor, it has to be that thin. We also love the freshly grated Romano/Parmesan cheese blend

I've never been in there , but plan to go someday . Volpi is around there too as well as some others . All good . You can buy the Volpi stuff at most supermarkets around me . I'm 3 miles north of 70 up 79 . Mannino's sells mostly Boars head , but you can get the pork roll there if you never had it .

 

[DougE]

I see Eric ar 2guysandaCooler is doing pork roll right now... but he is smoking it. Only one of the 5 pork roll brands I've had was smoked, and not Taylor's. Oh well, at least he's making my hometown stuff! ;)

I had a number of different brands back when I lived NJ years ago. Taylor was always my favorite, and seemed to be the most popular in delis (pretty much any deli you went to) that sold pork roll, egg, and cheese sammies on a hard roll, and also on the roach coaches that frequented places I worked.

 

[Dave in AZ]

I had a number of different brands back when I lived NJ years ago. Taylor was always my favorite, and seemed to be the most popular in delis (pretty much any deli you went to) that sold pork roll, egg, and cheese sammies on a hard roll, and also on the roach coaches that frequented places I worked.

Doug, I know we've talked pork roll before :) Hey, for about a year here in Phx, Krogers/Frys grocery has had Taylor pork roll! I went in 2 weeks ago buying salami, and their meat dept head for west Phx happened to be there, I got asking where the Taylor's ham was... he said they were going to stop stocking it this month :( He said it was because they actually had to pay extra to carry it, a license fee, over and above shelf space! So I bought their last 2, just so I'd have a stock for taste comparisons to my versions later.

I don't think I posted my Taylor pork roll writeup here, I should post it... hard to remember what I posted to which sites.