Pork picnic roast?

[jimmyb]

I have always heard of, and saw many pork picnic shoulders. I picked up a small pork picnic roast and it looks nothing like a shoulder. Is this the same cut? Can I smoke it and pull it just the same or is it better sliced? Looking for some recommendations on how to cook this piece of pork.

[squirtthecat]

I'll be interested as well... I see these all the time at Wally Mart.  Not sure what to do with them.  (they are wrapped in netting here)

[ArnieM]

The oicnic is raw, the lower part of the front leg.  It can be pulled but not as good (IMHO) as butt. 

I've posted this recipe before and done it myself.  I liked it.  I sent it to OU812 and he thought it was a little heavy on the cumin.  It's a pretty traditional Puerto Rican dish.

The recipe is from the NY Times.  I suppose you could sneak a little smoke in there too.

Just an FYI.

January 2, 2008
Recipe: Pernil

Time: At least 3 hours

1 pork shoulder, 4 to 7 pounds (or use fresh ham)

4 or more cloves garlic, peeled

1 large onion, quartered

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ancho or other mild chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil as needed

1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar

Lime wedges for serving.

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat's skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.

2. Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.

3. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.

Yield: At least 6 servings.

Let me know if you try it and how you liked it.

[jimmyb]

you are right on the money squirtthecat. Got it at Walmart and it has a netting on it. It was just small enough to feed my family so I got it. I don't have time for a full butt right now. Maybe I'll try bringing it up to an IT of 185 and pulling it like a butt. What's the worst that could happen?

[BuyLowSellHigh]

Consider about ~180 and slicing instead of pulling.

[classicrockgriller]

If you cook like a butt (to 200 it) you can pull most of it

cut you may have to chop some of it. It taste great!

Go for it.