# Picnic vs. Butt



## dougbennett (Apr 5, 2010)

Si I agreed to make pulled pork for the whole office. I want it to be good, but I also have to make so much that cost is an issue. 

Will anyone be able to tell the difference between butt mean and picnic meat? With the picnic being cheaper (but prolly having a bone), how much meat will be yielded from a picnic vs. a butt that are the same size? 

Thanks for the advice, as I've never tried a picnic before.


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## autoferret (Apr 5, 2010)

once cooked you may lose up to 50% of the mass.  Theres fat and skin and bone to account for too.  I've been using boneless pork butt myself.


How many people your cooking for?


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## corn cob (Apr 5, 2010)

If ya serve it on two separate plates/pans probably so to an experienced eye, but that's not what ya do..Cook 1/2 butts, and 1/2 picnics...pull both and mix well...It will be delicious.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!


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## rdknb (Apr 5, 2010)

I like having the bone in and yes it is cheaper, but at the end of the day with the fat  cooking off and the bone coming out I guess the amt of meat would be close


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## graybeard (Apr 5, 2010)

IT'S HARD TO BEAT A BUTT and the price isn't all that much more. 30% @ most and it's still cheaper than ground beef. You will loose apx. 40% of gross weight.

beard


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## Dutch (Apr 5, 2010)

The butt side of the shoulder will pull easier than the hock end. I find myself using a couple of cleavers to chop the meat that comes off around the shoulder/leg joint-just won't pull apart no way-no how-even with the rest of the meat falling off the bone.


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## triplebq (Apr 7, 2010)

Stick with the Butt .. the money is worth the price when pulling times comes . Be sure to buy a fresh one if at all possiable and stay away from cry-o-vac . Get time take some Qview ... I always get asked to take Qview but just don't always have a camera ! lol


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## triplebq (Apr 7, 2010)

Agreed


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## chisoxjim (Apr 7, 2010)

i do both bone in butts and picnic shoulders.  All depends what looks good when I am buying one.  If I had the choice of the two I would do the bone in butt.  Although I do like the  shoulder knuckle bone the shoulder has(bone = flavor).

I prefer pork fresh, & straight from the farm, but I will by cryo pork,  as long as it isnt enhanced.


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## rbranstner (Apr 7, 2010)

I will be watching this thread close as I picked up three picnic's on a sale a while back. I was planning on pulling them but have never tried a picnic I have always done butts.


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## corn cob (Apr 7, 2010)

Cook em the same way as butts...You'll not be disappointed.

Fun & Enjoy!


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## ecto1 (Apr 9, 2010)

Ok I have only done three Butts but I was going through my circulars looking for future smokes and a local store has picnics for $.88 a pound.  Should I pick up a couple?


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## mballi3011 (Apr 9, 2010)

Well I'm almost agrreeing with everyone esle here and say go for the butt. It will pull easier and the cost really isn't that much either.


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## travcoman45 (Apr 9, 2010)

Picnics got a bigger bone an a touch more fat then the butts round here.  If I'm doin a big batch a pulled pork I'll mix in a couple a picnics cause they got better flavour then a butt in my opinion.

Either way ya can't go wrong, it's all fine eatin.  I pick up picnics when they have em cheap, I don't get quite as much meat offin em as I do a butt, but the flavour compensates fer that.

Try em, yall will like em I'm sure.


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