Pork Shoulder 101

• Shoulder cuts are taken from the top of a hog's forelegs, while hams are taken from its hind legs. Hams and shoulders are similar in structure, each containing a thick joint and a section of the leg bone. A shoulder has smaller muscles, and lots of fat and connective tissue. When slow-cooked in an oven or smoker, the fat and connective tissues melt and give the finished shoulder a richly satisfying flavor and texture. That's why it's the preferred cut for making pulled pork, the quintessential slow-cooked pork dish.

Full vs. Half Shoulder

• A full pork shoulder weighs 12 to 18 pounds, too large for most retail purposes. Supermarkets and butcher shops usually cut them into halves, selling the meatier butt portion and leaner "arm" or shank portion separately. If you've deliberately ordered a full shoulder for a family get-together or similar function, you'll need an unusually large roasting pan, smoker or barbecue to cook it. You might find it easier to separate the shoulder into butt and shank portions, which makes them easier to handle even if you're planning to cook them at the same time.

Your Options

• The simplest way to separate your shoulder into halves is to ask the butcher to do it for you. The butcher shop has a large and well-sterilized band saw for cutting meats, and it takes just a few seconds. If you want to do it yourself, buy a brand-new blade for your hacksaw and carefully wash it with dish soap. Use a large, sharp knife to cut through to the thigh bone, approximately in the middle of the roast. Use your hacksaw to cut through the bone -- it takes some work -- then wipe away any bone fragments with a damp cloth. Alternatively you can debone the entire roast, then separate it into halves and tie each half with butcher twine.

A Few Tips

• Cooking times for a pork shoulder vary, depending on your cooking method and a number of other variables. Allow 15 to 20 minutes per pound if you're roasting the pork, 45 minutes per pound if you're roasting it over indirect heat in a barbecue, and 90 to 120 minutes per pound if you're making pulled pork the old-fashioned way in a smoker or charcoal kettle. If you're cooking the two halves simultaneously, weigh them and calculate the cooking times for each half. Give the heavier piece an appropriate head start, then add the second piece later. Use a meat thermometer to verify the temperature of each piece before you remove it from the oven or barbecue.