Smoked Picnic Shoulder Recipe

Shredded barbecue picnic shoulder topped with sliced onions and pickles, served on a tray with a side of creamy coleslaw in a small bowl.

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Smoked Picnic Shoulder Recipe

Ready to smoke the most succulent pulled pork of your life? Skip the complicated techniques and fancy equipment - this easy recipe turns a budget-friendly picnic shoulder into perfectly smoked fall apart tender BBQ.

Prep Time10

Cook Time6

Total Time6 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: serving

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Kita Roberts

Ingredients

5 lbs bone-in picnic shoulder
4 tbsp mustard
¼ cup BBQ spice blend we love GirlsCanGrill Pork Rub
8 oz beer
1 1/2 cups BBQ Mop

Instructions

Prep the Grill and Picnic Roast

Preheat your smoker for 250-275 degrees F. See our notes below for charcoal and wood recommendations
Score the fat cap on top with a sharp fillet knife in a crosshatch pattern.
Rub the pork shoulder on all sides with the mustard and cover with a liberal coating of the BBQ rub.
When the grill has preheated and the smoke is no longer thick and heavy, add the drip pan on top of the diffuser plates and place the grill grates on top.
Close the lid and allow the grill to preheat for another 10 minutes.

Smoke the Picnic Shoulder

Add your pork, placing it on the grilling grates above the drip pan.
Close the lid and allow the picnic shoulder to smoke until it reaches 165 degrees F, about 3 to 4 hours depending on weather and elevation. Spritzing with a vinegar-based mop every 45 minutes as it cooks.

Wrap the Pork

Carefully remove the roast from the grill and wrap it in butcher's paper (or foil).
Return it to the grill and allow it to smoke for another 3 to 4 hours, until it reaches an internal temp of 205 degrees F, checking every 45 minutes to an hour with your instant-read thermometer.
When the pork has reached 205°F, carefully remove it from the smoker and place it in a foil pan, covered with a clean dish cloth to rest for 45 minutes.

Pull the Pork and Serve

Using gloved hands, unwrap the pork and shred it into small pieces. Discard the bone and any cartilage or fat.
Toss the pork in a little more of the mop to moisten the meat, if needed and serve as desired.

Notes

What grill will this work on? We used a ceramic kamado-style grill, the Kamado Joe Konnected, but this recipe works on any charcoal grill or pellet smoker. Pro Tip: If using a ceramic grill, wrap the diffuser plates with heavy-duty foil to make clean up a breeze.
What charcoal and smoking wood to use? We used B&B Oak Lump charcoal and 3 Western Wood Hickory chunks. Cherry wood is also a great choice for pork and will help it get that pretty red color. Always wait for clean wispy ‘blue smoke’ before adding your meat. Heavy, thick smoke leaves an acrid taste on your food.
The Cut: We love a picnic shoulder because it's smaller than a standard pork shoulder and cooks faster. It’s a little leaner, so don’t forget to spritz with a mop throughout the cook and use a drip pan to retain as much moisture as possible.
Interntal Temp: This cut comes from lower on the shoulder, down towards the leg, and in order to get it to fall apart tender, the meat needs to reach 205 degrees F internally, when your digital meat thermometer should slide in without any resistance (as the pros say, “like butter”).
The Stall: Often, the roast will cook to around 165 degrees F in the first few hours, and then comes what’s known as “the stall,” a tense period when it seems like the internal temp just won't rise. You can ride this out or speed things up by wrapping the picnic shoulder in foil or pink paper, which is what the pros use because it’s breathable and allows better moisture retention.

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