All About Pork Shoulder

Many people prefer pork shoulder because the skin surrounding the shoulder keeps it much juicier than other parts of the pig. Pork is an unprocessed source of both fat and protein that can be an incredibly tasty addition to any paleo or ketogenic diet. Pork contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for your body’s maintenance and growth. If you’re a bodybuilder, athlete, recovering from surgery or simply want to build muscle, you’ll want to try out this recipe sooner than later.

Traditionally, pork has been rubbed with spices such as cumin, chili powder, dill, caraway seeds, fennel, garlic, paprika, rosemary, sage, cayenne, thyme and coriander. Besides peach nectar and clove, brown sugar and apples have proven to add just the right amount of sweetness to this meat.

Also called the “picnic roast” or “picnic shoulder,” pork shoulder is not to be confused with pork butt or Boston butt. While pork shoulder is cut from the thinner, triangle-shaped end of the shoulder, pork butt or Boston butt comes from the thicker end above it. Both are taken from the front limbs. The actual rear of a pig, on the other hand, is called ham.

One of the best things about pork shoulder is that it’s really hard to mess it up. Pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving slab of meat and becomes more tender as it cooks. When it comes to grilling and barbecuing pork shoulder, lengthy cooking times are your friend. Even if the meat stays on the grill a few minutes too long, it won’t turn dry or rubbery.

Best Time to Cook Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder is inexpensive when compared to other meats. When prepared the right way, pork shoulder is so delicious it proves you don’t have to drop a lot of cash on pricier cuts of meat to make an impression.

Because grilled pork shoulder will take at least six hours to barbecue, it’s best cooked during an afternoon party where you can chat and mingle with your guests until dinner time. With a Grilla Grill, you won’t need to spend so much time fiddling with your meal — it takes care of all the legwork for you. The Grilla Silverbac, Grilla Kong and original Grilla are built with heavy gauge stainless steel components that make barbecue simple.

Dishes to Pair With Grilled Pork Shoulder

We get it. You don’t think you need to pair grilled pork shoulder with anything to knock the socks off your guests — and you’re right! When barbecuing pork shoulder using a versatile outdoor smoker grill, the sky’s the limit of what you can do. Utilizing Grilla Grills pellet wood smoker grills imparts flavor and temperature control not found anywhere else.

Sure, you can devour pork shoulder with peach nectar and vinegar sauce as-is, like our recipe suggests. Or you can use it as the basis of other meals and dishes. Consider serving up your grilled pork shoulder with the following:

• Plantains
• Baked apples
• Applesauce
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes

Satisfy Friends and Family With Pork Shoulder

If you’re wondering how to appease your family, coworkers or friends, remind yourself you have a Grilla Grill and a tasty recipe for pork shoulder. With those two features, there’s no way you can fail. Barbecued pork shoulder slow-cooked in a wood pellet smoker will make you a star in your backyard. Have fun experimenting with creative ways to serve up this pork shoulder recipe and for more tips on smoking food, check out this guide.