Whole Pork Shoulder

Smoked Pork Shoulder Recipe

Whole Smoked Pork Shoulder Recipe

Lots of times people say they are smoking a shoulder, but really they are only cooking the butt portion of the whole shoulder. A whole Smoked Pork Shoulder weights around 20lbs and takes about 18 hours to cook. It’s a big task… but it can produce some serious barbecue. I am cooking this whole Smoked Pork Shoulder on an Ole Hickory MM. You need a solid smoker that can hold temps steady for long cooks – so this is why I decided to go with my Ole Hickory. I start by trimming the whole shoulder from 20lb to around 18lbs. I remove most of the skin and fat and anything that is a barrier to the bbq meat. Smoking a Whole Pork Shoulder To season this whole Smoked Pork Shoulder, I start with a simple AP season, apply a layer of mustard slather and finish with The BBQ Rub. Next I inject with a pork injection and allow the pork shoulder to sit out and come up to room temp for about 1 hour while the smoker comes up to temp. Whole Smoked Pork Shoulder I smoke this whole pork shoulder at 225-230 degrees. For a whole shoulder it takes 1hr per pound – so expect a 17-18 hour cook. I smoke the pork shoulder with hickory wood until it gets a nice bark on the outside and hits around 150-160 internal. At that point I wrap the pork shoulder and cook until it hits 192 internal. Smoked Pork Shoulder Once the Smoked Pork Shoulder hits 192 internal, I unwrap it and apply The BBQ Sauce as a glaze. I allow the glaze to set on the bbq shoulder while it come on up to the 195-198 internal temp I’m shooting for. Whole Smoked Pork Shoulder Once the glaze has set on my Smoked Pork Shoulder, it’s time to pull it and serve the bbq pork. Whole Smoked Pork Shoulder Smoked Pork Shoulder Malcom Reed Connect on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Find me on Google+ Follow me on Instagram Buy Killer Hogs Products Here Smoked Pork Shoulder

Have a Question About This Recipe?

Connect with us in our HowToBBQRight Facebook group for recipe help, to share your pictures, giveaways, and more!

22 responses to “Smoked Pork Shoulder Recipe”

  1. camila says:

    hello! i promised my family id make them a pork shoulder for christmas this week, and i had to oportunity to find a 10-12 pound pork shoulder with bone in and skin on, can you please help me?
    i dont have a smoker, is it ok if I cook it in the oven? and for how long do you reccomend?

  2. Mack McKenzie says:

    Thanks for your time and knowledge and also sharing your passion!!

  3. Wayne Andersen says:

    Love your written instructions and videos!!! Have learned so very much. I am knew at BBQing. Did a turkey over Thanksgiving and was awesome! Followed much of your recipe. Had done ribs Traeger style, and with added info from you. Recently did a brisket for the first time with your help!! Thank you so very much!! You guys rock!! I plan to place an order for a few things in the near future. Gonna sport a t-shirt for one of the items. Did a Rack of Pork on my own (low and slow like a pork butt…whoops!…but came out awesome!!), and then did the multi seasoning and injection similar to yours and very good as well. Went to 195 and 198 for brisket at same time on smoker (while cooking the rack of pork), covering each in foil after getting good color. Looking forward to trying this Pork Butt Recipe in the near future, along with a couple brisket flats (or perhaps will venture to do a whole brisket).. Using a Traeger Elite pellet smoker/grill. Thanks again and Blessings to you and yours! Wayne

  4. Dustin says:

    Hey Malcom!
    Its going to be my first try at a whole pork shoulder on the 4th of July this year. I was wondering do I have to leave the cap on the shank end of the shoulder?

  5. Gary says:

    Do you have to inject the pork shoulder?
    What stage do you put the shoulder in the roasting pan?
    Great video

  6. Bob Heinz says:

    Love your videos. Cooking a 20 lb bone in shoulder ( Cheshire). Have read many different opinions on cooking time. 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours per lb. what’s your opinion and if I wrap it, by putting in a aluminum pan will that not just steam the pork and make it soggy? 1.5 hr/lb can take 30 hrs. Your video shows 17/18 hours. Please help. I’m really confused
    Thanks

    • Malcom Reed says:

      Yeah – I would plan for 18-20 hours – especially when you are cooking at a lower temp of 225. But give yourself plenty of time, wrap it when it has the color you want and cook it until you 198-200 internal. Then take it off, place it in a dry cooler and let it rest until it’s time to serve (up to 6-8 hours).

  7. Bob Heinz says:

    Malcom, sorry I left some info off my original question. Cooking on a Yoder YS640 pellet smoker. Temp will be set at 225/230 degrees.
    Thanks

  8. Steve says:

    Malcom,
    I really enjoyed your video. I have my first whole shoulder on right now. Using a pellet smoker, for couple reasons. Ease at controlling the temp, easier to get the pellet of choice than to get the smoking wood here in Germany. Though I would recommend the German Booka (spelled phonetically) hardwood charcoal. It is a beech wood charcoal in big chunks you can even get some in burlap sacks. Anyway I wanted to say thanks for having a video that has easy instructions, not just your ingredients but explaining the main base so you can build your own. ( I am living in Germany via good Ole WV).
    You are someone that I would invite over, because I know you would sit back relax, give pointers and enjoy the company and eats all without making a person feel like they don’t know what they are doing.
    If you are ever in Germany give me a holla and I will introduce you to some of the best Airmen and Soldiers America has.

  9. Scott Caspary says:

    Hey Malcolm, I want to do this with a Snake River Farms bone-in shoulder. Will there be as much trimming on one of their shoulders as the one you did in this video? Your friend Scott

  10. Seth BAIRD says:

    Got a 20lbs Pork Shoulder and going to smoke it for a family dinner this Sunday. I’m using a new smoker, had a Traeger for years and ended up breaking down, wife surprised with a Pit Boss Pro, any ideas on how it smokes or any suggestions ?

  11. Cody Turner says:

    Malcom
    Big fan here in Pensacola and hate I missed you being at the Butcher Shop recently. Awesome video as always and meat looks great! My question is how often did you have to add charcoal to your Ace MM with that cook being so long? I just purchased the Ace MM and waiting for its arrival. Any tips on this smoker I should know about? Thanks again

  12. John Edwards says:

    Thanks. ????????

  13. Jerry Davidosn says:

    You do a great job and i have enjoyed all your cooking tips I’ve looked at most of yours

  14. Mauricio Mazariegos says:

    Will this work for a 20lbs boneless pork butt?????

  15. Eddie says:

    Hey Malcom I’ll be following this cook but with a 22 lb pork leg, it should be generally the same steps correct?

  16. Jay says:

    What’s the bag and what does it do?
    Is that a towel?

  17. Jeff says:

    Hey Malcom, I have a huge smoke coming up for my daughter’s graduation party. I’m needing to smoke around 60lbs of pork shoulder for pulled pork. I have my Treager pellet smoker that I will be using, but I am not going to be able to get all three 20lb shoulders in the smoker at the same time. I will need to start a day or two prior to the party. I’m planning g on smoking 2 at once, and then the third by itself. What would you suggest as the best way for me to accomplish this task without the previous batch having to sit and wait on the third? Will it keep overnight in aluminum pans covered, and then take out the day of the party and reheat in the oven? Also should I cover it when reheating in the oven?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.