Today I bought a pork shoulder from Walmart, planning to grind it for a recipe.

Choosing the Right Cut

Pork shoulder, also known as pork butt or Boston butt, is perfect for grinding because it has a good balance of meat and fat, which keeps ground pork flavorful and juicy. While leaner cuts like tenderloin are excellent for roasting or stir-frying, they don’t perform as well when ground — they can turn dry and crumbly.

At Walmart, I looked for a shoulder that had a fresh pink color with marbling of fat and minimal liquid in the packaging. Quality selection at the store makes a big difference when you’re grinding your own meat.

Preparing to Grind

Once I got home, I refrigerated the pork shoulder for a few hours to firm it up. Chilled meat grinds better and reduces smearing, which is important for texture. I cut it into manageable chunks, trimming excess skin and silver skin while leaving enough fat for flavor.

Next came the grinder — a small home electric meat grinder I’ve used for other projects like burgers and sausage. I attached the medium grind plate and fed the chunks slowly, allowing the machine to work without clogging.