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CT Butts, The best way to make Pork Shoulder

by | Sep 18, 2025 | Pork, Pork Roasts, Pulled Pork, Recipe | 0 comments

 

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CT Butt Recipe

The CT butt, or collar trimmed butt, is a flavorful cut fromthe pork shoulder prized for its tenderness and marbling. This method producesjuicy, pull-apart pork in about 6–7 hours, perfect for slicing or shredding.  This cut of meat has become more and morepopular In the United states, but I recently started seeing them inCanada.  It looks like a Whole Pork Butt,but it is about half the size and contains the prized money muscle.  When we compete in BBQ cookoffs for KCBS wetypically use around 4 CT butts to ensure we have enough money muscle  to enter in our turn in boxes.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: CT Butt, Pork, Pork Shoulder, Pulled Pork
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 people
Author: Russell Bird

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Prep the Pork CT Butt Trim excess fat, leaving a thin layer to help baste during cooking. Season generously on all sides with your BBQ rub. Let rest at room temperature while the smoker preheats.
  • Initial Smoke Stage Preheat your smoker to 275°F–300°F. Place the pork CT butt directly on the grates. Smoke for about 4 hours, spritzing lightly with apple juice or apple cider vinegar every hour if desired, until the bark is set and the color looks rich and mahogany.
  • Wrap and Braise Remove the butt from the smoker and place it on a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Top with pats of butter and drizzle with rib candy syrup. Wrap tightly to seal in juices and return to the smoker. Cook an additional 2–3 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 202°F or the meat is probe tender (a probe thermometer slides in with little resistance).
  • Rest Remove from the smoker and keep wrapped. Rest in a cooler or warm oven for at least 30–60 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
  • Serve Pull the pork into chunks or shred with forks/claws, make sure to slice the money muscle portion into nice medallions. Mix in the rendered juices and syrup from the foil for extra flavor.

Notes

FAQ – Understanding Pork Cuts
  1. What’s the difference between a pork butt and a pork picnic?
 
Both come from the shoulder of the pig. A pork butt (also called Boston Butt) is from the upper shoulder and is well-marbled with intramuscular fat, making it ideal for pulled pork. The pork picnic (or picnic shoulder) comes from the lower shoulder, closer to the leg. It usually has more connective tissue, skin, and bone, which makes it better suited for slow cooking but slightly less forgiving than a butt.
 
  1. What is a CT Butt (Collar Trimmed Butt)?
 
The CT butt is a specially trimmed version of the pork butt, with the collar portion separated and excess fat or ragged edges removed. It’s a smaller, more uniform cut that cooks more evenly and quickly than a whole butt.
 
  1. Is a CT butt the same as a Boston butt?
 
Not exactly. The Boston butt is the full upper shoulder cut, usually 8–10 lbs. A CT butt is trimmed down, typically 5–7 lbs, with a more consistent shape and less waste. Think of it as a “competition-style” or premium trimmed version of the Boston butt.
 
  1. Which cut is best for pulled pork?
 
All three can work, but the pork butt and CT butt are the most common because of their higher fat content and tenderness. The CT butt is especially popular among competition BBQ teams because of its even cooking and presentation.
 
  1. Why choose a CT butt over a picnic?
 
A CT butt offers more marbling, less connective tissue, and a better yield of tender, juicy pork compared to a picnic. The picnic is a more economical cut, but it requires longer cooking and more trimming. The CT butt is preferred when consistency and flavor are the goal.
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