284313 Wed Apr 05 00:46:30 -0700 2006 7 31 Home Cooking 0 1519730 A "fresh picnic ham" I understand--it's the front leg of a pig, with the skin attached, right? But what is a "pork shoulder blade roast, bone in"? Different from a regular pork shoulder roast? Specifically, can I cook the bone-in one in a recipe calling for boneless pork shoulder Boston roast? Are all the shoulder cuts suitable for long, slow roasting (as opposed to the loin, for example)? Thanks for your insights on this. Wed Apr 05 00:46:30 -0700 2006 0 Marsha 1 1519733 Yes, the picnic is the part of the pig corresponding to your arm from the shoulder joint to the elbow joint. The Boston butt is cut from the other side of the shoulder joint, and those two pieces left connected, i.e., not separated at the shoulder joint, constitute a whole pork shoulder. The blade roast is also called the loin end roast, and is the next piece of pig on the other side of the Boston butt. It is leaner than the Boston butt and much leaner than the picnic, so cook it accordingly. Jim Wed Apr 05 01:04:15 -0700 2006 1519730 0 Jim Washburn 2 1519735 Great clarification--thanks! Am I to assume that "self-basting" recipes such as those for slow-cooked picnic roasts would be unsuitable for leaner cuts such as the shoulder blade? Wed Apr 05 01:08:42 -0700 2006 1519733 0 Marsha 3 1519736 Yeah, I think so, but I'll disclose that I have a lot of experience with picnics, a fair amount with butts, and very little with blades. Makes sense, though. Jim Wed Apr 05 01:20:48 -0700 2006 1519735 0 Jim Washburn 4 1519755 The Blade roasts still have plenty of fat/connective tissue- but they're not self basting Defininitely braise-worthy, you may have to turn it (or pieces) more often, but it will still produce a wonderfully unctious finished product. I think my local Latin grocer uses some of the blade roasts for making carnitas and though dryer than some of the butt carnitas, the crust that forms on the reletively leaner pieces is so heavenly... Wed Apr 05 09:58:17 -0700 2006 1519736 0 jdherbert 5 1519788 So if I make carnitas, I am slow-roasting the meat in the oven without a cover (as opposed to braising it in a covered dish to keep the moisture from escaping), right? Can you recommend a temperature, and a length of time? Also, how to season? Wed Apr 05 12:12:24 -0700 2006 1519755 0 Marsha 2 1519856 Your basic description and cooking recommendations are on the money - but one minor nit - "The blade roast is also called the loin end roast, and is the next piece of pig on the other side of the Boston butt." The term blade is used for any piece that has the blade bone in it, so it isn't always the loin piece. I have 3 different brochures and charts from the National Pork Producers Council, American Meat Science Association, and others that list the initial shoulder piece (connected to the picnic) as a "Blade Boston Roast". They distinguish this piece from the cut that has a piece of the loin, as "Blade Loin" on one chart and a "Loin Blade" on the other. I'm sure that different regions and even individual butchers will use different names, but I wouldn't assume that a piece labeled "Blade Roast" is the leaner Loin Blade. A careful look ought to tell you whether this is a piece with major fat and connective tissue all over, or something with one end that has a more uniform and lean appearance, especially if it has a piece of the loin eye. Wed Apr 05 15:55:47 -0700 2006 1519733 0 applehome 3 1519901 Thanks for the clarification. Now I can actually look at what the butcher is offering and decide if it's what I need/want. Wed Apr 05 19:10:41 -0700 2006 1519856 0 Marsha