Cut List
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the hog

Every cut of the hog

Tap a cut. Cooks first.

Cuts of the hogPicnic shoulder

Tap a primal — or the list under the chart — then a pin for the retail cut

On the hog

Picnic shoulder

19 cooks that start with this cut.

Cook picnic shoulder

Open in recipes
Smoke

Pulled pork shoulder

10 hr8 lb9 platesall-day

Smoke

Smoked pork steaks

3 hr 15 min3 lb4 platesweekend

Smoke

Country-style ribs, smoked

4 hr4.5 lb5 platesweekend

Stovetop

Carnitas, lard-crisped

3 hr 30 min8 lb9 platesweekend

Crock pot

Crock-pot pulled pork

8 hr8 lb8 platesweekend

Crock pot

Crock-pot carnitas

8 hr8 lb8 platesweekend

Crock pot

Pork chili verde

8 hr8 lb8 platesweekend

Crock pot

Honey-garlic pork shoulder

8 hr8 lb8 platesweekend

Crock pot

Root-beer pulled pork

8 hr8 lb8 platesweekend

Crock pot

Country-style pork in the crock

6 hr4.5 lb5 platesweeknight

Stovetop

Pulled pork sandwich

20 min1.5 lb3 platesweeknight

Grill

Pork steak sandwich

40 min8 lb9 platesweeknight

Roast

Mojo roast pork

5 hr8 lb9 platesweekend

Roast

Char siu pork

1 hr 30 min8 lb9 platesweeknight

Grill

Al pastor, trompo-style

1 hr 30 min8 lb9 platesweekend

Stovetop

Carnitas bowl

40 min8 lb9 platesweeknight

Stovetop

Pozole rojo

3 hr 30 min8 lb9 platesweekend

Stovetop

Pulled pork tacos

20 min1.5 lb3 platesweeknight

Stovetop

Pork fried rice

20 min1.5 lb3 platesweeknight

Ways to cook picnic shoulder

Same cut, different fire.

CommonPicnic

Picnic shoulder

Also arm roast, picnic ham (when cured)

Lower shoulder, skin often on, more bone. The other pulled-pork cut.

Per animal
2 · 6–9 lb each
Per half-hog
1 picnic
How to cook it
Smoke like a butt; it can run longer. Skin-on: finish hot for crackling.
Rarity
Cheaper than butt. Often cured as picnic ham.
What to buy
Buy skin-on if you want crackling. Boneless picnic is a roast.
Money
Usually the cheapest large roast on the hog.
Trim
Score the skin. Do not peel it if you want crackling.
Leftovers
Same as butt. The skin fries into snacks.

More bone than the butt. Yield is lower.

How many

Plate

Buy 5.5 lb · ~3 lb to the table · 6 plates at 8 oz

19 cooks in the library for picnic shoulder.

The whole animal

Every retail cut we track, how many you generally get, and how often it actually shows up in a case. Tap a line to pin it on the chart.

Cook through a half-hog

Boston butt

20%

Picnic

10%

Loin

20%

Belly

15%

Ham

24%

Hock

7%

Jowl

4%

half-hog counts are typical, not a promise from the plant.