The Costco meat section is booking with great deals. From turkeys to corned beef, some excellent options make tasty dinners. But there’s one deal lurking you may not have tried — Costco Pork Shoulder.
This relatively inexpensive meat makes excellent pulled pork. We’ve got everything you need to know about this large cut, including prices, where it’s from, and more.
Can You Buy Pork Shoulder At Costco?
Yes! Costco sells Swift brand boneless Pork Shoulder butt. Shoppers will find the meat in the refrigerator section near the pork belly.
The shoulder butt also called the Boston butt, or pork butt, comes from the front shoulder. This cut is often confused with the pork shoulder, but it’s not the same. The shoulder butt is thicker and marbled with fat throughout. It’s also a little more substantial.
Most packages contain anywhere between 13 and 16 pounds of meat. The 2023 price is $2.39 per pound, much lower than what grocery stores charge.
Is Pork Butt and Pork Shoulder The Same?
Don’t let the name confuse you; pork butt does not come from the pig’s rear end. Both the pork butt and the pork shoulder are cuts from the shoulder. They have some similarities and differences that make each unique.
Both are inexpensive cuts of meat that work well for low and slow cooking, such as braising, BBQing, braising, or stewing. For the most part, you can use them interchangeably.
The Pork butt is a thicker cut from a higher part of the shoulder that includes the neck, blade, and leg. It’s semi-tough and contains a lot of marbling and an intact fat cap. That marbling and fat allow the meat to endure a long cook time. Use Pork butt for pulled pork or any recipe that requires tender pork.
Pork Shoulder comes from the thinner portion of the leg. It’s often called the picnic shoulder. This cut has less fat than the butt. This cut is best if you want the meat to hold its shape after cooking. It’s sold with the skin on, which is perfect if you desire a crispy outside.
How Many Pounds Is A Pork Shoulder From Costco
Costco sells Swift Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt in the refrigerated section. The pieces range in size from about 13 to over 16 pounds. The current price as of February 2023 is $2.39 per pound.
For each pound of boneless Costco pork shoulder, you will get about ⅓ pound of pulled pork. Cooked pork weighs half as much as raw.
To determine how much pork to buy, here’s an equation:
[ Guests x 1/3 ] x 2 = Pounds of Raw Pork To Buy
For 30 guests, you would need 20 pounds of raw meat. If you cannot use it all in one instance, the raw meat and most cooked products, including pulled pork, freeze well.
How Much Costco Pork Shoulder Do I Need To Feed 4 People?
Using the equation, [ Guests x 1/3 ] x 2 = Pounds of Raw Pork To Buy, you would need 2 2/3lbs. of pork shoulder to feed four people.
[4×1/3]x2 =
[1.3333332]x2=
2.6666664 or 2 ⅔ lb.
Since the meats are best cooked low and slow, consider buying a large cut; leftovers freeze well. Your future self will thank you.
Where Does Costco Pork Shoulder Come From?
Costco sells Swift Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt. The company has a headquarters in Greeley, Colorado, and a 265,000-square-foot flagship processing plant in Worthington, Minnesota.
Swift & Company is a leading beef, pork, and lamb processor. The company has plants and other operations at facilities in Iowa, Kentucky, California, and Australia, according to Encylopedia.com.
Does Costco Have Bone-In Pork Shoulder?
We have yet to see bone-in pork shoulder at Costco as of February 2023. We will continue to monitor, and if anything changes, we will update this space.
The warehouse carries a boneless variety that you can substitute. You will need to decrease the cooking time since there is no bone.
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