Jack Curry wrote:

> "Dave Bugg" <deebuggatcharterdotnet> wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Mark Reichert wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Seems to be a case of upping the moisture content to make sure the all
>>>too lean modern pork is still moist at the end, as well as getting
>>>some seasoning into the interior cells of the meat.
>>
>>That's Alton's reasoning, but the reality for shoulders, picnics and butts
>>is that they are usually not that lean. Unless, of course, you have a
>>maniacally enthusiastic butcher that hates fat. It's just not necessary to
>>brine.
>>
>
> Ditto to Dave. I've never had a butt turn out dry. There's plenty of fat
> in a Boston butt to keep the meat moist without brining.
>
> Jack Curry

I suspect the main benefit of brining the butt is delivering salt to the
meat, which of course could be accomplished by ... salting the meat.