Pork Shoulder
Pork in the Midwest · down 20% this week
Per a typical 140g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Pork, fresh, shoulder, whole, separable lean and fat, raw).
- 1 SoutheastCheapest $1.71/lb
- 2 Midwest $1.97/lb
- 3 Northeast $2.19/lb
- 4 Southcentral $2.23/lb
- 5 Northwest $2.48/lb
- 6 Southwest $2.62/lb
Buying pork shoulder in the Southeast saves about 35% versus the Southwest this week.
- How to pick a good one
- Sold as Boston butt or picnic shoulder. Look for heavy marbling and a thick fat cap; this is a cut where more fat is better. Bone-in is cheaper per pound and adds flavour, and the bone slides out cleanly once cooked.
- What a good price looks like
- The best value in the entire meat department: $1.50 to $3 a pound, and frequently under $1.50 on ad. Under $2 is a good price. Even at 55% yield, pulled pork lands around $3 a pound of cooked meat — cheaper than almost any raw protein in the shop, and it feeds a crowd.
- What you actually get
- An 8 lb bone-in shoulder gives roughly 4.5 lb of pulled meat, a loss of around 45% to bone, fat, and moisture. That still serves twelve or more. Budget half a pound of raw shoulder per person and you will have leftovers.
- How to store it
- Three to five days refrigerated, four to six months frozen. Large shoulders are worth splitting before freezing.
- In the kitchen
- The most forgiving large cut sold anywhere. It has enough fat and connective tissue that it is nearly impossible to overcook — eight hours at 135°C, or until it pulls apart. Sold as a bone-in picnic or a boneless butt; the bone adds flavour and slides out clean when it is done, which is also the most reliable doneness test there is.
- Getting the most out of it
- The best value in the entire pork case and almost impossible to ruin, provided you cook it long enough. It needs many hours at low heat to break down; at anything less it is tough. One shoulder makes pulled pork, tacos, ragù, and stew, and the leftovers freeze well.
- Spicy Korean Pork Stir FryRecipe by RecipeTin Eats~$2.06 / serving 3 in-season
- Pork Carnitas RecipeRecipe by Spend With Pennies~$2.76 / serving 4 in-season
- Grilled Pineapple Pork SandwichesRecipe by Pinch of Yum~$3.67 / serving 5 in-season
- CarnitasRecipe by Well Plated~$4.14 / serving 3 in-season
- Pork AdoboRecipe by RecipeTin Eats~$5.58 / serving 3 in-season
- Salsa Verde Shredded Pork Tacos RecipeRecipe by Foodie Crush~$2.35 / serving 3 in-season
See all 60 recipes with pork shoulder →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA weekly retail meat report (conventional, per lb). Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Pork Shoulder — FAQ
What's the price of pork shoulder this week?
As of the week of October 2, 2026, the price of pork shoulder in the Midwest is $1.97/lb, down 20% from last week. Prices come from the USDA's weekly retail meat report.
Which region has the cheapest pork shoulder right now?
The Southeast has the cheapest pork shoulder this week at $1.71/lb — about 35% less than the Southwest, where it runs $2.62/lb.
How much protein is in pork shoulder?
A typical 140g serving of pork shoulder has about 24.1g protein and 330 calories (25.2g fat), per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I cook with pork shoulder?
SeasonSort indexes 60 recipes using pork shoulder, each priced per serving from this week's data — starting from about $0.65 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.