Picnic shoulder

Pork Β· Shoulder
JowlShoulderLoinLegBellyRibsShankShank

The picnic shoulder is the lower half of the pork shoulder, below the Boston butt. It includes the leg bone and more connective tissue than the butt, making it ideal for long braises and slow roasting. It has a stronger pork flavor and is often used for carnitas, slow-roasted pulled pork, and making stocks. Often sold skin-on.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈUnited StatesPicnic shoulderprimary
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§United KingdomHand of porkAlso called pork hand or shoulder hock in the UK
πŸ‡²πŸ‡½MexicoBrazuelo de cerdoUsed for carnitas in Mexico
πŸ‡¦πŸ‡·ArgentinaBrazuelo de cerdo
πŸ‡«πŸ‡·FrancePalette de porc
πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΈSpainBrazuelo
πŸ‡§πŸ‡·BrazilPernil

Similar cuts

Boston buttclose

Both are from the shoulder and suited to long, slow cooking, but the butt is fattier and more forgiving while the picnic includes the leg bone and has a stronger flavour.