Cut List
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the hog

Every cut of the hog

Tap a cut. Cooks first.

Cuts of the hogBoston butt

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

On the hog

Boston butt

19 cooks that start with this cut.

Cook boston butt

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 boston butt

Same cut, different fire.

CommonBoston butt

Boston butt

Also pork shoulder, pork butt, blade roast

Upper shoulder, blade bone in. The cut for pulled pork. Fat and collagen do the work.

Per animal
2 · 6–10 lb each
Per half-hog
1 butt
How to cook it
250–275°F to 200–205°F, wrap when bark is set, rest an hour. Blade should twist free.
Rarity
In every case. Bone-in is cheaper and stays juicier.
What to buy
Buy bone-in, 8 lb, with a fat cap. Boneless cooks faster and dries easier.
Money
Best dollar-to-flavor on the hog. Cheaper than loin, eats richer.
Trim
Leave the fat cap. Score it. Remove only hard lymph nodes and ragged edges.
Leftovers
Tacos, nachos, fried rice, chili. Freeze in cup portions.

About 60–70% edible after bone, fat cap, and trim.

How many

Plate

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

How to cut

Pull, do not slice. If you slice a butt, go across the obvious seams after a rest.

19 cooks in the library for boston butt.

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.