Confused by labels on pork at shop rite???

Decoy205

Decoy205

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I want to pick up a pork butt to cook this weekend. The labeling on what is available is confusing to me. Example: "Pork Fresh ham butt half" is this a regular butt?

In the mean time I asked the butcher if I could pick a butt Friday to cook on sat. I don't have time to freeze at this point.

If anyone can explain these it would be appreciated!





This is believe is a regular boneless butt:




This is all they had so I hope they can get me what I need Friday.

Thanks in advance.
-John
 
fresh ham is the rear leg. the top photo is probably the top part of the rear leg. second photo is probably the lower part of the front leg. the third one is probably the butt, as you say. the fourth is probably the lower part of the rear leg. if you are making pulled pork, all should do fine.
 
Thank you for the reply! I suspected that anything that says "Ham" is the hind legs. That clears up a little. Yes I want to make pulled pork. I didnt think the "ham" ones would be ok so thanks for that.

I prefer with the bone in but that small boneless but might be good to cut down on cook time.
 
I would find another place to shop for my meats, if the butcher could not answer my simple questions. I am pretty simple, and don't need something confusing to complicate my life. If all I wanted was a pork butt to cook for pulled pork, then I would shop where I could buy a pork butt with bone in, without any confusion.

PS. that is why I don't shop the cereal isle in the supermarket. Too many decisions to make for an already confused old, tired, grouchy, and monetarily challenged individual! :decision: YMMV

Have a blessed day, and I hope you found what you wanted! :confused:

Omar
 
As described above you have two different pieces referenced....

Starting with the rear leg this is usually referred to as a fresh (uncured) whole ham. Once this leg has been cut in half it is referenced as follows; The lower half is referenced to as "fresh ham, shank half" (picture 4) because it contains the leg shank. The upper half is referred to as the "fresh ham, butt half" (picture 1).

The front leg is referred to as a whole shoulder. Once this leg has been cut in half it is referenced as follows; The lower half is referenced to as "fresh picnic" or "shoulder picnic" (picture 2) and it contains the leg shank. The upper half is referred to as the "pork butt" or "boston butt" (picture 3).
 
Thank you for that detail madman! This was helpful. Hopefully the butcher will be able to just give me a bone in butt tomorrow. Otherwise I gotta check out Wally World and stop n shop.
 
Decoy205 said:
Thank you for that detail madman! This was helpful. Hopefully the butcher will be able to just give me a bone in butt tomorrow. Otherwise I gotta check out Wally World and stop n shop.
Click to expand...

Like Smittyjonz said Picture 3 is a boneless pork butt. Ask the butcher for a pork butt, commonly referred to as a "Boston Butt", with the blade bone still attached.

You could use the boneless if you wanted too, but with no bone to wiggle, just pull at the meat until it pulls with only a slight resistance, or use a probe to test for being done.

Shoprite near us has bone-in butts all the time as well as Wegman's and BJ's.
 
Butts

Decoy205 said:
Thank you for that detail madman! This was helpful. Hopefully the butcher will be able to just give me a bone in butt tomorrow. Otherwise I gotta check out Wally World and stop n shop.
Click to expand...

Shop N Shop in Hackensack, had bone in butts for $1.79 lb yesterday. I think that price ends of Friday.
DanB
 
Go to Restaurant Depot in Secaucus. You can get two Bone in Pork Butts with no issues at prices that are usually better then Shop Rite. You can also make some really good pulled pork from the Picnic cut.
 
I thought the boston butt was a better cut for pulled pork than the picnic

The picnic has all that skin...
 
IamMadMan said:
As described above you have two different pieces referenced....

Starting with the rear leg this is usually referred to as a fresh (uncured) whole ham. Once this leg has been cut in half it is referenced as follows; The lower half is referenced to as "fresh ham, shank half" (picture 4) because it contains the leg shank. The upper half is referred to as the "fresh ham, butt half" (picture 1).

The front leg is referred to as a whole shoulder. Once this leg has been cut in half it is referenced as follows; The lower half is referenced to as "fresh picnic" or "shoulder picnic" (picture 2) and it contains the leg shank. The upper half is referred to as the "pork butt" or "boston butt" (picture 3).
Click to expand...

Oh... So the leg is a whole ham except when in half it's just the shank without the butt or the butt without the shank OR you could have the whole shoulder except when you just get the shoulder picnic with the shank and not the butt... wait, who's on first?

Lol, just kidding - it makes sense, but I couldn't resist! :clap:
 
Crotonmark said:
I thought the boston butt was a better cut for pulled pork than the picnic

The picnic has all that skin...
Click to expand...

that skin turns crispy and delicious! picnics are great for pulled pork. some of the most tender shreads of pork can be found under the fat that is below the skin. i don't use them for competition, but at home i prefer picnics.
 
Guest said:
:twitch:
Click to expand...

Hahaha there's actually no good way to talk about pork butts without sounding wrong is there?!

BBQ_MAFIA said:
Go to Restaurant Depot in Secaucus. You can get two Bone in Pork Butts with no issues at prices that are usually better then Shop Rite. You can also make some really good pulled pork from the Picnic cut.
Click to expand...

I didnt even know about RD in secaucus. Thanks for the heads up!
 
Our miejer used to carry picnics and they were under $2/lbs. Latley the haven't had them, I needs me some crispy pig skin.:mad2:
 
The picnic roast would be my choice for pulled pork right now. $1.69/lb is a decent price for something that will cook up almost exactly like a pork butt. With the added bonus of getting more great cooking grease by removing the skin and rendering it.

Many people actually prefer the taste of picnic over butt for pulled pork anyways.
 
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