Fresh 'Picnic' Ham Shoulder - Ideas?

[ArnieM]

I'll try to make it short.  My grocery has boneless pork but on sale this week for 1.49.  I'm going to get some.  Meanwhile, my wife went shopping and said "Look what I got for you!"  She got this bone-in picnic, about 8 pounds.  She was very excited.  I said "Oh $hit."  She said "What?"  I said "That's great!"

Now, what do I do with it?  Brine?  Cure?  Smoke?  Roast?  Any of the above?  I know it won't pull like butt.  Any suggestions would be warmly welcomed.

[FLBentRider]

I'd cure it, smoke it  - Make an ArnieHam!

[Gizmo]

The Picnic will pull or slice.  I would do them both the same way although you don't need to do them at the same time unless you want lots of pulled pork sandwiches.  
Dry rub and smoke.

[classicrockgriller]

Arnie, 10.5 did a brine and smoke from a net ham that was awesome looking.

I smoked picnics and unlike a butt it doesn't pull that great but you can chop the rest and it was good.

[Tenpoint5]

Arnie,
Take the skin off that bad boy, inject it and brine it the same as I did in the home cured ham post. You will love it!!

[Habanero Smoker]

Another alternative is to make Cuban pork out of it. I have posted a recipe on this site somewhere, but have modified it to include not only brining, but injecting also. If you can't find it, I'll look for it later.

[ArnieM]

10.5 - Thanks, I found the post you referenced.  Boy there's some serious time involved there!  I'll check out that book at Amazon.

Habs - Thanks.  I saw your cured ham recipe at susanminor.  I haven't looked for the Cuban pork yet.

As usual, I don't have all of the ingredients for the cure/brine.  I'm going to order up a bunch. 

It looks like I have time.



If you can read the label, the "Use by" date is May 14, 10.

[Ka Honu]

Since you already have pulled pork, why not try roasting it Puerto Rican style?  Not outdoor cooking, but a great taste.  Good & easy recipe here or Google "recipe pernil."

[ArnieM]

Thanks for the suggestion and the link KH.  I think I'll give that a shot on Sunday. 

The high temps here are predicted at freezing or below for the foreseeable future.  I try to stay in the house.

That also gives me time to order up curing supplies for "the next one".

[FLBentRider]

If you can read the label, the "Use by" date is May 14, 10.

If that is fresh pork I find that VERY difficult to believe.

I think the date on the label machine was off or something.

I can't get fresh pork to last more than a week around here.

[Ka Honu]

If that is fresh pork I find that VERY difficult to believe.

I think the cryovac packaging may be what allows the extended shelf life.

[KyNola]

That's what I thought too FLBR.  That date has to be wrong if that is fresh pig.

KyNola

[oakville smoker]

Sad but true, I know sift through the supermarket ads looking for meat sales
I saw some shoulder as low as 89 cents a pound and some beef at 2 99 a pound
I did see the New York cuts and the butts as well
I even saw that Fortinos has sausage and salami making supplies as well as curing salts
They also indicate they have casings.  I am going to have to swing by

At 89 cents a pund i will cut the butt off teh leg and brine a picnic ham or even roast it
How can you go wrong?

[FLBentRider]

If that is fresh pork I find that VERY difficult to believe.

I think the cryovac packaging may be what allows the extended shelf life.

I've opened cryovac'd pork loins from Sams that are within the date and they were BAD.

[Tenpoint5]

FLB I'm with you it has been brined and or injected with something to add some shelf life. The label does say contains no artificial ingredients and no more than... The rest is covered by the store label so it has been enhanced in some way.