Practiced hosts know the truth: Pork shoulder recipes take the stress out of even the biggest party. The large-format cut of meat is forgiving and flavorful, scaling well to feed a group without any extra effort. And while pulled pork sandwiches may come to mind first and foremost, there’s a lot more you can do with this beginner-friendly meat. It braises! It roasts! It can be sliced into steaks and grilled up quick or popped into a slow cooker for a hands-off dinner.
Before we start piling on the inspiration, a note on terms. “Both a pork picnic roast and pork butt come from the shoulder area of a pig,” clarifies senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk. “Pork butt (sometimes labeled Boston butt) is a bit higher on the animal, closer to the spine, while the picnic (sometimes labeled picnic shoulder) is found just above the leg.”
Can you sub one for another? “Pork butt is usually a bit more fatty and can withstand long cooking times such as braises and stews without becoming dry,” notes Jesse. “The picnic shoulder—while very similar—has a bit less marbling. The difference is not enough that I would tell cooks they need one versus the other. If you have one, use it. I generally think it is okay to swap one for the other in most recipes. Pork butt is typically a bit more succulent, but a picnic roast is a great alternative and I personally would not worry about it being too different.”
Deputy food editor Hana Asbrink chimes in that you’ll often see a picnic shoulder sold bone-in. “I’ll use those for things that are extra long-roasted, like a show-stopping pernil, for example.” A boneless butt, on the other hand, comes in handy for weeknight dinners or smaller slow cookers; Hana likes that she can buy pork butt in “a smaller amount if it’s not being used for party purposes, like cutting them up for stews like kimchi jjigae!”
Grab whatever’s at your local market, and let’s get into our best pork shoulder recipes below.
Thinking about other cuts of pork? Head over here for our best pork tenderloin recipes, and get ideas for pork chops here. We love this pork loin recipe too.