A lot of us novice BBQers end up wondering, "what is a Boston Butt and is it really a butt or is it a shoulder?"
Well, it is worth understanding the terms used to describe a "pork shoulder" because I have seen them vary widely at grocery stores.
It is also worth actually knowing what the cuts LOOK LIKE so you can make your own informed decision about what you are buying.

What's the Difference Between Picnic and Boston Butt
Shopping for pork shoulder can get confusing. Learn the difference between Picnic Shoulder and Boston Butt so you don’t have to panic at the store ever again.
To even the most experienced BBQers, shopping for different cuts of meat can get intimidating and confusing. End the panic and end the confusion.
Today I’m going to explain the difference between a Picnic Shoulder and Boston Butt.
Go ahead … bookmark and/or pin this post now. It is a great resource to always keep in your back pocket.
Already know what you are throwing on the grill?
Check out some of my favorite grill day recommendations - Grilled Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples, Smoked Beef Tenderloin Pellet Grill Recipe, and How to make juicy grilled Chicken Breast.

Picnic vs. Boston Butt
In my younger years (20+ years ago), my novice self was found more often than not staring at a cold case wondering what I wanted to grill and deciphering the meat, the cut, and more.
When it comes to Picnic vs. Boston Butt, there was honestly nothing more confusing.
A lot of beginner BBQers and grillers wonder, “What is Boston Butt?” and “Is Boston Butt really a butt or is it a shoulder?”
Well, today I’m going to decode the mystery for you, because it’s been years and I still see it referred to in a variety of ways at grocery stores and butcher counters.
BONUS: It’s super important to understand what you are buying and what it looks like, so don't forget to study or save the pictures.

It’s all Pork to Me
First things first, let’s get this out of the way now … Pork Butt is NOT the “rear end” of a pig.
In fact, when someone is referring to Pork Butt, they are actually referring to the shoulder of a pig.
I know what you are asking yourself, “So, why is it called a pork butt?”
The term “butt” refers to the way pork shoulder cuts were packaged back in the day.
Pork shoulders were packed into barrels and the barrels were called “butts.” The barrels were used for packing and shipping.
To complicate matters even more, our good friends up in Boston were cutting pork shoulder in such a way that it was referred to as the Boston Butt in other regions of the country as well.
So what does Boston Butt look like?
Take a look at the image below. The shoulder of the pig is the meatiest part closest to the spine of the pig.
When cut, it will be rectangular in shape and more times than not, you will find part of the bone still in the cut.
You can buy it boneless, but I recommend buying the bone-in option.
Boneless butts don’t cook as evenly in the smoker because of how the bone gets cut out of the meat.
I recommend saving boneless butts for grinding pork OR my personal favorite - making homemade sausage!

Let’s talk Picnic Shoulder
When working to understand pork shoulder, there is only one thing to remember…
Pork shoulder is made up of two completely separate cuts - the pork butt and the picnic.
A major difference between the Boston Butt and the Picnic Shoulder is that the picnic is the portion closest to the knee whereas, as I mentioned above, the butt is the portion closest to the spine of the animal.
Things to know about Picnic Shoulder
- Picnic cut is sold with the skin on. Yes, real pig skin.
- Pro-Tip: I like to grill/smoke this with the skin side down. If you are familiar with cooking salmon, it is very similar. You leave the skin on to protect the meat you are cooking and help it retain moisture, flavor, and good oils.
- Smoke and Dry Rub will not penetrate the skin.
- Picnic Shoulder is typically a less expensive cut of meat.
Recommended Recipes for Picnic Shoulder
If you want to use Picnic Shoulder, or if that is all you are finding at the store, I recommend making a stew with it or carnitas!
Now, I’m sure you are wondering … how did Picnic shoulder get its name? It HAS to be something epic right …
Wrong, but it is interesting.
When researching this, the only thing I could find is that the picnic cut is a “smaller” and less expensive cut as compared to the rear leg aka “ham” roasts.
This supposedly also makes it better suited for a picnic.” … Which I thought was interesting!

What Makes Pork Shoulder so good?
It’s all about that beautifully marbled fat!
I get asked a lot, “What makes pork shoulder so good?” Aside from just flat out cooking it right, it is all about the connective tissue.
Now, I know how that sounds. Typically, a lot of people also avoid the fatty cuts of meat and connective tissue because it makes for a tough and sometimes horrible end product.
However, the trick is cooking it SLOW and LOW. Doing this allows the connective tissue to literally melt and baste the meat.
Add that slowly melting fat into the mix and you are about to have the BEST piece of meat come off your grill.

What cut of meat makes the best Pulled Pork?
The great internet debate! In the world of grilling and BBQ-ing, there is nothing more heavily debated and talked about than what cut of meat makes the best pulled pork.
At the end of the day, if you are making pulled pork, you want to use Pork shoulder no matter what.
Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes because of its optimum fat content.
The fat creates tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slow and low. Doing this allows the protein to break down leaving you with perfectly tender meat.
Truthfully, I believe either Boston Butt or Picnic Shoulder would be fine.
My only dislike for shoulder being used for pulled pork is the fact you have the skin still attached.

The Perfect Pork Dinner Side Dish
These are just a few of my favorite bbq side dishes to serve alongside that juicy pulled pork shoulder.
Here are some recipes and posts you will enjoy
If you enjoyed this post, then take a look at some of my favorite recipes below. Heat up your next grill night with something incredible.
mary sue
I'm glad you mentioned them improperly labeling it at the store as I had lived in Memphis for a while and got accustomed to making BBQ sandwiches at home. When moving back to IL, I was still able to find the cut of meat I had always known to look for "Pork Shoulder Roast" (about 4lbs, no bone, no skin, and maybe one side with a film of fat, not really the thick white fat strip, more of a very marbled piece of darker, not pink, meat), then to my surprise on a few occasions now, I have gone to the store to buy the same thing I always do, to just read the labels and the weight, grab it and go, only to find out about 2 hours or so into cooking that something doesn't "smell right." Oh yes, and then come to find out I have something that I would have known as something like a "pork loin roast" (very white, tasteless crap, dried out easily, doesn't shred the same way) that I knew I should have been suspicious about from the beginning but I just read the label and went with it since it said clearly "pork shoulder...." but no, it said "pork shoulder butt." After living in the south, I had heard of people making Boston butts... or just "butts"... and even tried a few, to which I would just usually turn up my nose even then because usually it's cooked by drunken morons who overdo it (dried out). So, I have always steered clear from butts because I know their texture... too pork choppy in texture... dense, not very stringy, or rather the wrong kind of stringy, I should say... stringy like poultry if made in a slow cooker or dutch oven, not "pulled" looking, like in juicy strips of stringy goodness. So, yeah, the first time, I just didn't look... the second time, it happened again, after I was assured this was the meat I was looking for. Thankfully, they refunded my purchase on that second occasion because that had informed me incorrectly, but I should have just went with my gut instinct-- the meat looked too pink to start, which when cooked, turns white. The "pork shoulder roast" I am used to getting has no skin or anything complicated about it, is marbled and is very similar in shape and texture to a beef roast (not like roast beef sliced, but slow cooked beef roast that you have with carrots, potatoes, and rice on the side) and the meat looks "darker" almost reddish before cooking, rather than "lean and pink" looking. I am so frustrated I cannot find this normal cut of meat anymore. I cannot eat what people commonly refer to as "butt," it's terrible and white and dry and most people cook it incorrectly. Sure it's a great smoker meat that you could cut thick chops out of and that has it's own purpose, but when you want a shredded pork sandwich, you want the dark meat.. and I tend to think it is regional how meat is cut and how it is labelled, though the "butt" seems to be a portion I am speaking of, just not the upper butt closer to the loin-- everything is being labelled as "butt" now and there is no distinguishment made between the lighter and darker or a slight overlap of both and the "meat department guy" at the grocery store is usually some f***a*** 22 year old who has never cooked a day in his life going to tell me "yeah, yeah, it's the butt you want" ... yeah, ok, but why have the labels changed in my region and why is only white meat LOIN.. clearly LOIN roasts masquerading as "butts" being sold instead?
Sharon
MANY meat cuts are mis-labeled all across this country. Pork shoulder butt roast IS the primo cut for smoking, roasting, braising, sausage making, and just about everything delicious Low & slow cooking results in tender, silky, juicy, HEAVEN. Makes the best pulled pork in all of creation. Sooooo many stores & supermarkets slap cuts of meat into a package with incorrect labels. If you live in areas of the country where people buy and KNOW their pork cuts, you won't run into this problem. Otherwise, you're at risk. Wherever you've got a significant population of Southerners and/or Mexican people, they wouldn't DARE try to pass off a dry, white, tasteless pork loin as a shoulder or butt roast. Labeling is key.
yas queen
too long didn't read
Cindy
Asked the Marsh meat guy if they had a picnic and he prodeeded to take me to the meat case where they had a Boston butt. He went to ask the meat guy in the cutting room then came back to me and said they were getting more meat in to Tuesday but that the picnic and butt were the same. Sheesh.
Philip Mayeux
Albeit that the is my second or third session on researching Boston Butt versus Picnic Roasts, I really appreciate the education on now to identify which is which and not rely upon that which the butcher has labelled. I showed Hampshire show pigs in the FFA in the late '60's and eventually managed an eighteen sow feedlot operation. I thought I knew my pork cuts, but likely did not take the time to differentiate back then when sending one to slaughter.
Joel
For the folks that have moved north and can't seem to get the Shoulder cut they're looking for, try asking for a "Fresh Ham".
The meat guy will then know what you want.
Fresh Ham is the lower shank without the smoked flavor added.