pork butt
Also known as: Bone-In Pork Butt, pork shoulder, 4-6 lb Pork Butt/Shoulder, boneless pork shoulder, pork shoulder roast
A well-marbled, tough cut of pork from the upper shoulder (despite the name, not from the rear); suited to long, slow cooking -- braising, roasting, or smoking -- until tender enough to pull apart.
Buying guidance
Pork butt, Boston butt, and pork shoulder roast are all names sellers use for the same or a very similar cut, so don't be thrown by the label -- look for a large, well-marbled roast rather than a leaner cut. Bone-in roasts add flavor and give an easy doneness cue, since the bone twists free cleanly once the meat is fully tender; boneless is easier to portion but gives up that visual signal.
Substitutions
- Beef chuck roast -- comparable collagen content and cooking behavior, but a different flavor entirely.
Tips & common mistakes
Pulling pork butt off the heat as soon as it reaches a typical 'done' meat temperature leaves it tough and chewy -- unlike a lean roast, it needs to keep cooking well past that point, into the range where its connective tissue breaks down into gelatin, before it becomes tender enough to pull apart.
Storage
A whole pork butt is large enough that a frozen one can take two days or more to fully thaw in the refrigerator -- plan ahead rather than expecting an overnight thaw, and never thaw a roast this size at room temperature.