The two best cuts of pork to use for for making pulled pork are the butt and the picnic shoulder. The pork butt comes from the shoulder area of a hog. The picnic shoulder is just below the butt and is more like the elbow joint.

If anyone knows why this cut is named “picnic” then please leave a comment because I would love to learn!

The picnic is an oddly formed cut. The picnic can weigh between 6-10 pounds, has a couple of bones and usually has a layer of skin attached. The odd shape and dimensions of this cut make it “less desirable” from a retail perspective which means they are usually pretty cheap!

Let’s look at how to smoke a picnic shoulder on a Weber charcoal grill to make some amazing pulled pork sandwiches.

Table of Contents

Prepare the Picnic Shoulder for the Smoking on Your Kettle

The shoulder usually comes with a thick layer of skin attached on one side.

Use a sharp knife and remove the skin to expose the fat layer underneath. The skin will toughen up in the smoker and will not be very good to eat. The skin would also prevent smoke and flavor from penetrating into sections of the meat.

A picnic roast does not have as much internal fat as a pork butt. I like to inject picnic roasts with a brine to make sure the meat inside is juicy and flavorful. Here is my pork injection recipe.

Injection for Smoked Pork Shoulder

8 oz apple juice (a small bottle)
8 oz water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Work methodically and inject the roast all over. This 8.5 pound roast was able to take up the entire injection mix.

After the pork has been injected coat it with your dry rub and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to overnight.

Smoked Pork Dry Rub

1 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon celery salt

Prepare Your Weber Charcoal Grill For Smoking

You are going to need to set up your kettle for low, indirect heat.

If you are using a charcoal basket then fill it with about 30 Kingsford briquettes and light it with a paraffin cube in one corner. Set the bottom air vent to 20% open and keep the top air vent 100% open.

After the charcoal has lit, place 2-3 chunks of hickory on top of the briquettes.

This configuration will keep your kettle in a nice low temperature zone for about two hours. After every two hours you will need to add fresh charcoal to the basket.

If you don’t want to deal with refilling the charcoal basket every two hours then you can invest in the Slow N Sear accessory that will give you about 10 hours on a single load of charcoal.

I used a Slow n Sear for this cook.

Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the grill at the grate level. You want the cool side of the grate, where the shoulder is going to be, to be running at around 250F.

Do not pay any attention to the built in thermometer in the lid of the grill. The lid thermometer is going to read at least 50-75 degrees hotter than the grate temperature.

Smoke the Picnic Shoulder on Your Weber

I smoke picnic roasts exactly like I smoke pork butts.

Optional Step: Place a disposable aluminum tray on the charcoal grate and add two cups of water. The water will add a little moisture during the cook. More importantly, the disposable try will catch a lot of grease and make cleanup significantly easier.

Place the meat on the cooler, indirect side of the grill away from the charcoal. Close the lid making sure that the top air vent is located over the meat.

Every two hours rotate to the meat so a different side is closer to the charcoal. This is a good time to replenish the charcoal if needed. Some people will also use this time to to spritz the pork with water or apple juice.

When Is The Shoulder Done?

It takes about 1.25 hours per pound to properly smoke a picnic shoulder but that is just a rough estimate as every shoulder is a little different.

You are aiming for an internal temperature of 205F and, more importantly, waiting until your thermometer slides through the meat with almost no resistance.

This shoulder weighed about 8.5 pounds (skin on) and took a little over 10 hours to cook. Here is what this beauty looked like when it was done!

This guy was so tender that when I tried to take it off the smoker it simply fell apart.

There are about a thousand ways of serving pulled pork but one of my favorites has to be on a bun topped with coleslaw. The “cold, creamy, crunch” of the slaw simply pairs really well with the smoky pork.

I hope this post inspires you to get out there and fire up your kettle! If you are working with a pellet grill instead of a kettle then check out this article on How to Make Pulled Pork on a Traeger.

Now get out there and grill something 🙂

Smoked Picnic Shoulder on a Weber Kettle

A picnic shoulder is injected, seasoned with a dry rub and then smoked on a Weber kettle for 10 hours.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 10

Total Time 11

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

For The Pork Injection
8 oz apple juice
8 oz water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
For the Pork Dry Rub
1 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp celery salt
1 Pork Picnic Shoulder 8-10 pounds

Instructions

Combine the injection ingredients and stir to dissolve
Remove and discard the skin from the shoulder
Inject the picnic shoulder with as much of the injection liquid as the pork will hold.
Season the meat liberally with the dry rub and wait at least an hour before putting on the smoker.
Set up your Weber kettle for low indirect heat. Approximately 250F at grate level.
Smoke the picnic shoulder for 9-10 hours until an internal temperature of 205F is reached and your thermometer slides through the meat with little resistance.
Remove the pork from the grill, shred and serve on buns topped with coleslaw.