Even for experienced cooks, approaching the meat counter can be a prelude to bewilderment. The names of various cuts of meat often change from shop to shop, and some seem designed to confuse the shopper.
Take the pork cut known as the Boston butt. Since it resembles a ham and is, after all, a “butt,” most cooks assume that it is from the rear portion of the hog. Wrong. In one of the more stunning misnomers in culinary history, the butt is not the rump but rather the shoulder of the animal.
But then, an observant shopper might ask, what exactly is the “picnic shoulder”? As it turns out, that cut is not the shoulder but the upper foreleg of the hog. As for its relationship to picnics, there is a story, but even most butchers today don’t know it.
These puzzling labels are at least partly responsible for the low esteem in which American cooks seem to hold pork shoulder. But these cuts are in fact a valuable addition to anyone’s culinary repertory: Inexpensive and easy to cook, they have wonderful pork flavor.
The first step in getting acquainted with these worthy cuts is understanding that their names, if somewhat whimsical, are at least not totally arbitrary.
The term “Boston butt” dates to Colonial times, when butchers in Boston devised a popular method of cutting up the shoulder, typically packing these cuts in barrels called butts for shipping or storage. Hence Boston butt.
The picnic shoulder acquired its label somewhat later, in the 19th Century. At that time butchers began boning this upper section of the front leg and then curing it to create a more plebeian version of ham. Not fancy enough for the dinner table, this cut was thought appropriate for picnics, and the “shoulder” designation was considered more appealing than “foreleg.”
Nomenclature aside, there are also more tangible reasons that shoulder cuts have been less popular than those cuts “high on the hog,” like loin or ribs. But these supposed disadvantages also can be seen as virtues.
First, cuts from the shoulder contain quite a lot of intermuscular fat. There is an obvious downside to this, but on the other hand, the fat gives these cuts a deeper, richer flavor. This can be a boon to those who find the leaner cuts of today’s leaner pork too bland for their taste.
In addition, the fat makes shoulder cuts more resilient. If you overcook a pork loin, for example, you’re going to have very dry meat that’s not very tasty. If you overcook a Boston butt, it’s no big deal. This quality makes shoulder cuts ideal for serving to guests who still mistakenly insist that, for health reasons, pork must be cooked until it is dead gray all the way through.
Cuts from this area also contain a relatively high proportion of the connective tissue called collagen. This can make the meat very tough. But when the proper cooking method is used, the collagen melts into gelatin. This not only makes the meat tender but, like the fat, also helps to make it very flavorful.
Both butt and picnic shoulder respond very well, for example, to braising, a cooking method in which the meat is half-submerged in flavorful liquid, covered and cooked in a low oven.
The butt is slightly superior for this use because it contains less fat. The butt is also tender enough for dry roasting, as long as it is cooked rather slowly and brought to medium-well done. Shorter roasting leaves it a bit tough.
Perhaps the best use for picnic shoulder is cutting it into cubes for stew meat. The long, slow cooking under liquid is ideal for transforming this somewhat tougher meat into tender morsels.
In some markets you also will find the butt, which is the upper section of the shoulder, made into a smaller cut that is called shoulder blade steak or, more simply, pork steak. This is the pork equivalent of the classic seven-bone beef pot roast, with similar attributes: excellent flavor and better texture than many other cuts from the front of the animal. It is best braised.
All of these cuts from the shoulder do take longer to cook than more delicate pork cuts. But the cooking is mostly unattended, and the flavor rewards are definitely worth the time. The next time you walk up to the meat counter, you will have good reason to be more confident than confused.
MALAYSIAN-INSPIRED PORK STEW
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
This flavorful Asian dish goes well with rice or noodles.
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons each: curry powder, ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground red pepper, or to taste
2 pounds boneless Boston butt or picnic shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt, freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, peeled, halved, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 plum tomatoes, cored, diced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup roughly chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1/4 cup each, roughly chopped: fresh basil, fresh mint, cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1. Combine garlic, curry powder, cumin, paprika and red pepper in large bowl; mix well. Dry pork cubes with paper towels; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add to bowl with spice mixture; toss to coat.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork; brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to platter. Discard oil in pan.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to same pan; heat over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Add ginger and tomatoes; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Return meat to pan; add soy sauce, coconut milk and wine. Heat to simmer. Skim any film from surface. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook gently until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. Combine peanuts, basil, mint, cilantro, lime, red pepper sauce and brown sugar in small bowl; mix well. Serve stew in wide bowls; top each with 2 tablespoons of the peanut mixture.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 675 Fat ………… 53 g Saturated fat .. 21 g
% calories from fat .. 70 Cholesterol .. 105 mg Sodium ……. 790 mg
Carbohydrates …… 21 g Protein …….. 34 g Fiber ……….. 6 g
