Boston butt

What is a Boston Butt?

The Boston butt is the cut for the perfect pulled pork, and Boston butt is usually used for this here as well. A Boston butt is not, as you might expect, cut from the rear of a pig, but comes from the shoulder of the animal. The shoulder of the pig is often divided into two parts: the upper part is the Boston butt of the pig and the lower part is called picnic. Characteristic of the Boston butt is the beautiful fat marbling in the meat, the bone, and the fat cap.  

Boston Butt vs Procureur

We, the Dutch, like to make pulled pork from procureur, but actually, Boston Butt is the best choice if you want to make pulled pork. In America, they don't do it any other way, and that's not for nothing. If you order pulled pork in America, you can safely assume that Boston Butt or pork butt is used. The difference is mainly in the fat cap and the bone present in the Boston butt. This makes the meat more flavorful and actually requires even less. So, win-win!

How to Prepare a Boston Butt?

A Boston butt is primarily prepared on the BBQ. First, ensure that you start with a properly thawed Boston butt. Season the Boston butt with a BBQ rub of your choice and start the BBQ to bring it to a temperature of approximately 135 degrees. Place the Boston butt with the fat cap facing up on the BBQ and remove it after 4-5 hours to wrap it and return it for another 3-5 hours. How you handle it in between, whether you baste it with BBQ sauce or choose to spray it with apple cider vinegar, is entirely up to you. Unfortunately, it's not possible to say exactly how long you'll spend with the Boston butt. But you can always measure, because ultimately, you want a core temperature of about 93 degrees. For inspiration, definitely check out our recipes page!

How Long Does a Boston Butt Need to Thaw?

Generally, a Boston butt is quite large. Meat weighing several kilograms takes relatively long to thaw. Plan for about 3 days to thaw a Boston butt in the refrigerator. So if you have a Boston butt scheduled for the weekend, it's best to have it arrive on Monday or Tuesday.

Want to thaw your Boston butt faster? Then you can choose to place the meat in a clean bucket with clean cold water. Check before placing the meat in the water that the vacuum packaging is still intact.

Does a Boston Butt Contain Bone?

A Boston butt contains a bone. For preparation, it is best to leave this bone intact. Besides imparting extra flavor, the bone also shows you how done your meat is. Can you wiggle the meat back and forth and pull it cleanly at the end of cooking? Then you have done it right!

When ordering, keep in mind that there is a bone in the Boston butt, from which you should subtract its weight from the final weight.

Boston Butt Recipes

BlackSmokeGoldHouse has created some great Boston Butt pulled pork recipes for us. How about juicy pulled pork from Boston butt? You only need a few ingredients besides the Boston butt. If you have BBQ rub, apple cider vinegar, water, BBQ sauce, and mustard at home, you're ready to go. Of course, you prepare it on a BBQ with a lid, because you want to cook it indirectly. You can, for example, do this by placing a heat shield between the meat and the coals. Want to make juicy pulled pork from Boston butt? You can find the recipe on our recipes page.

Another preparation for pulled pork from Boston butt is one from North Carolina. In this recipe, the meat, as we are accustomed here, is not wrapped with butcher paper halfway through. Definitely worth trying once. You can find the recipe here.

Buying Boston Butt at The Butchery

Buying Boston butt online at Butchery is a breeze. Additionally, you are assured of a beautiful piece of meat that is ready to grill. Our butchers have already precisely cut away the parts that need to be removed for preparation, so you only pay for the meat you are going to prepare. Exactly as we would like to receive it ourselves.

Ordering Boston Butt Online at The Butchery

Ordering Boston butt online at The Butchery means you are assured of top quality. Whether you choose Boston butt from LIVAR, Iberico, or Duke of Berkshire, all are cut from authentic beef breeds from animals with a good origin. We consider that important! Order before 11:00 AM? Then we ensure that you have your order at home the same evening. Quickfrozen, so with optimal preservation of flavor and nutrients.