What’s the difference between a whole pork shoulder, a picnic shoulder, and a Boston butt?

A whole pork shoulder, cut from the front end of the hog, is a large rectangular hunk of meat, generously marbled and weighing twelve to fifteen pounds. It comprises two pieces: the picnic shoulder (sometimes called a picnic ham or shank end of the shoulder) and the Boston butt. The picnic shoulder is the foreleg end of the shoulder and it often contains the top of one of the forelegs. This gives it an interesting shape and flavor; some pit masters swear by it.

The Boston butt is the back part of the shoulder—it’s more blocklike in shape and has a higher ratio of meat to skin or bone. It is the preferred cut for most enthusiasts of North Carolina–style pulled pork.