Picnic Ham vs. Picnic Shoulder
A picnic ham is a cut of pork from the shoulder area of a hog; this is the upper front leg. The shoulder is divided into two sections. The upper section is the Boston butt, and the lower section is the picnic shoulder. The picnic shoulder is what is made into the picnic ham.
Technically in isn’t a ham because a ham is taken from the back legs of a hog. However the picnic shoulder is smoked and cured like a ham to give it that ham-like flavor. These are a bit tougher than a regular ham, so they require longer cooking. A picnic ham is great grilled or baked with a BBQ sauce glaze. Doing so makes it perfect for a picnic.