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Smoked Pork Shoulder | Slow Cooked to Perfection

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My favorite meat is smoked pork shoulder. The end. That is all. I confessed. I feel better.  This smoked pork shoulder recipe is slow cooked to perfection which makes the meat tender and delicious!

Close up of smoked pork shoulder on a plate with some gravy on it

Wait…!

Why do I have to confess that my favorite meat is smoked pork shoulder?  There is no one breathing down my neck demanding to know my favorite meat.  And Christopher knows very well that it is my favorite.  Ask him, he will tell you that I say it every time I eat this glorious food.

I should probably stop doing that.

Probably.

I wonder if that will really happen?

Probably not.

Sorry Christopher.

On to the Smoked Pork Shoulder recipe

Crock pot time! Brown sugar in the bottom of the pan

I grab my trusty crockpot and put some brown sugar on the bottom of the ceramic insert.  I press it down and smile as I am doing it because – anticipation, my dear friends, anticipation! I save a little of the sugar for the top of the meat.

*I do the smoked pork shoulder shuffle, which resembles the hustle, but in a very small space.*

Next, comes the smoked pork shoulder picnic cut.  The one I bought (pictured below) is 6 pounds. I’m so glad the store sells smoked shoulder in a smaller size.  My sister cooks a HUGE shoulder. Hers is usually 9 – 10 pounds.  But, since it’s just C and I, 6 pounds will do, nicely.  And the fun thing is I’ll have enough leftovers to make a pea soup.

I take my shoulder out of its packaging and plop it right on top of the brown sugar.

I plop the smoked shoulder on the brown sugar

Peek a boo!  Getting closer.  Yah and a big HOO!

The smoked pork shoulder is screaming, “Give me some sugar, baby!  Some shu-gah!”

Soooo, I take the rest of the brown sugar and play patty cake with the top of the smoked pork shoulder.

Brown sugar patted on the smoked shoulder

Now, I cover the crockpot and set the temperature to high and the timer to 4.5 hours.

Anticipation of Smoked Pork Shoulder

I grab a chair, drag it over to the crockpot and sit and stare at the timer.  It’s mesmerizing. Actually it’s boring, so, I get up and go about my day.  That’s not to say that I don’t take sneak peeks at the timer, because I do.

It takes at least 2 hours for the brown sugar to melt, so don’t get nervous.  There isn’t any need to baste the smoked pork shoulder, so leave it covered!

Two more hours pass and DING!  My favorite sound in the whole wide world.

I gallop to the crockpot and whip the cover off, spraying the condensation that accrued on the cover in a pretty arc.

I grab my big forks and stab the shoulder, lift it out of the crockpot and place it on a platter. The smoked pork shoulder has to rest at least 15 minutes before I can cut into it.

How unfair is that?

Smoked pork shoulder done and on a blue plate with steam rising above!

Look at that juice, PEOPLE!!  Is anyone else as happy as I am this very minute?  I think not, I think not!

So, 15 minutes drags on and on and on and on but I persevere and can finally cut into the shoulder.  Now  it is ready to eat.

sliced smoked pork shoulder on the plate with some vegetables in the background

I pour the juice from the bottom of the crockpot into a little gravy boat.  Then I plate the meat with some roasted carrots and potatoes and scream for Christopher.  He comes thundering down the stairs and skids to a stop right behind his chair.  He sits, grinning in anticipation.

I place his plate in front of him, take off my apron and sit in front of my plate.

I look happily at Christoper and we both dig in.  The rest is history.

A plate with smoked pork shoulder, veggies and potatoes on it. There is another plate behind it and some veggies

I hope you enjoy this smoked pork shoulder recipe as much as I do!  And please leave me a comment if you are so inclined as I’d love to hear from you.  Tell me what your favorite meat is!

Feel free to Pin any photo to Pinterest or Yum the recipe to Yummly.

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

5 from 20 votes
My favorite meat is smoked shoulder ready to be eaten
Print
Smoked Pork Shoulder
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 5 mins
 

Smoked pork shoulder is my very favorite meat and I love it prepared this way!

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Meat
Servings: 18 slices
Calories: 150 kcal
Author: Elaine @ Dishes Delish
Ingredients
  • 3.5 pound smoked pork shoulder picnic
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
  1. In the bottom of your crockpot, pat down most of the brown sugar
  2. Place unwrapped smoked shoulder on top of the brown sugar
  3. Pat the rest of the brown sugar on the smoked shoulder
  4. Cover crockpot and set the timer for 4 hours on high
  5. Wait patiently
  6. Once the timer dings, take the shoulder out and place on a platter
  7. Let sit for 15 minutes
  8. Slice
  9. Plate
  10. Do a happy dance
  11. Eat
  12. Enjoy
Nutrition Facts
Smoked Pork Shoulder
Amount Per Serving (2 slices)
Calories 150 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 36mg 12%
Sodium 41mg 2%
Potassium 187mg 5%
Total Carbohydrates 2g 1%
Sugars 2g
Protein 10g 20%
Vitamin A 0.1%
Vitamin C 0.5%
Calcium 1%
Iron 3.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This smoked pork shoulder is the perfect meat to serve at Easter or any family meal! The meat is my favorite. It's slow cooked, delicious and moist! #pork #Easter #familymeal #smokedporkshoulder #dishesdelishrecipes https://ddel.co/sps
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This smoked picnic is wonderful, just as you said. I do have one question. My piece was a half picnic at 3.5 lb. and 4 hours was perfect. If I were to cook a whole one at about 7 lbs, how long would I need to cook it? Would it be 8 hours? (I will make some wonderful pea soup with the bone.)

    Reply

    • Hi Betty,

      I’m glad you like the recipe. If you cook a 7 lb picnic it should take the same amount of time, so check it at 4 hours but it might be 5 at the very most. I find that 4 hours on high is perfect. Good luck. And I love pea soup! Yummers.

      Reply

  6. Looks pretty perfect to me. Just in time for the Easter holiday! Not sure I’ve ever had this, but looks like something to try. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  10. I never used to be a huge fan of hams and shoulder cuts but I have recently been won over by a few and this looks like another I am sure I’d enjoy.

    Reply

  13. YES….pork is SOOOO delicious. Hubby loves doing the “smokin” out on the grill. This is a great way to do it…especially in the dead of winter when he doesn’t want to go outside. So many things you can use this meat on too.

    Reply

  14. I have never made smoked pork in the crockpot! It’s fairly genius, actually! I always do pulled pork in the crockpot! I totally have to try this! I can’t to see what you do with the leftovers!

    Reply

  15. Slow cooker meals are just the best! I can’t believe this is really just two ingredients. It’s so great knowing some simple recipes like this! Looks like a real crowd pleaser.

    Reply

  16. This smoked shoulder looks amazing and I’m excited to try it out so that I too can do the smoked pork shoulder shuffle! I have a similar dance when freshly baked cookies are coming out of the oven.

    Reply

  17. My parents raised hogs on a small farm for years and still continue to do so! Love Pork shoulder. I’m going to try this in my Dutch oven. Such wonderful flavors! I pinned for later and stumbled! Such a great recipe!

    Reply

  24. This recipe looks so easy and delicious! Love slow cooker recipes like this one. My husband would love this for dinner!

    Reply

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