Pork Butt vs Pork Shoulder: Differences Explained

While many think these coveted cuts are the same, they come from different sections of the pig. I’ll share the most significant differences between pork butt vs pork shoulder and recipes you can try today.

I love just about every cut of pork out there. My tastebuds are not just limited to the butt or the shoulder. If you’re like me, you must try my Pan-Fried Pork Chops or 321 Baby Back Ribs.

What’s the Difference Between Pork Butt vs Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder and pork butt cause a lot of confusion, given the location of where it comes from on the pig and the name itself. Both cuts come from the whole front shoulders of the hog that are broken down into sections known as the butt and shoulder. Specifically, the butt is known as the Boston Butt, and the shoulder is traditionally referenced as the picnic shoulder. In plain terms, pork butt or pork picnic.

The pork butt is higher on the leg and extends up to the backbone. The picnic shoulder is the foreleg down to the knee, or shank, area. These cuts of meat are known to be tougher and have a good amount of intramuscular and intermuscular fat. Because of this, longer cooking methods like smoking or braising are required to make them tender.

 The confusing part about this piece of meat is that it is often sold called a pork butt shoulder because of where it was cut. It has some of the shoulder and some of the butt. However, they are indeed different. My personal preference is to use the Boston butt because it has more intramuscular fat, which means more flavor.

Boston Butt

The Boston butt is commonly bone-in, but it can be boneless. It is typically 75% lean, with 25% being fat. There are varying degrees of fat-trimming levels depending on who is fabricating it. This cut can be anywhere from 6 to 14 pounds in weight, depending on how close to the picnic it is cut.

The butt is well marbled with a good amount of intramuscular fat and almost always has a thick, ½ to 1-inch thick, fat cap on top. It has a rectangular shape.

My ideal cooking methods for this cut are smoking, braising, or stewing in a slow cooker for long periods. In addition, this is a coveted cut for BBQ cookers and smokers.

Picnic Shoulder

The Picnic is the leaner bottom section of the shoulder and is usually served bone-in, although it can be fabricated to have the bone removed. It is commonly sold with the skin on. The picnic shoulder weighs between 8 and 14 pounds, depending on where it was cut.

Since this is also a tougher cut with less fat than a butt, It is best to slow roasting, braising, smoking, stewing in a slow cooker, or grinding to make ground pork.

Chef Notes + Tips

The hog’s back legs, or hips, are where you get the ham cut from. Yes, it’s confusing. The butt is the front shoulders, and the ham is in the rear.

Pork Butt Recipes

• Smoked Pork Butt
• Pulled Pork
• Mojo Pork Tacos

Pork Shoulder Recipes

• Smoked Pork Shoulder
• Pork Shoulder Roast
• Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork
• Al Pastor
• Carnitas