Glazed Smoked Pork Shoulder

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/9/19
Honey glazed ham

 

Igor Jovanovic/Getty Images 
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total: 2 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1023 Calories
49g Fat
32g Carbs
107g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 1023
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 49g 63%
Saturated Fat 14g 71%
Cholesterol 393mg 131%
Sodium 6960mg 303%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Protein 107g
Calcium 135mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A smoked shoulder is also known as a picnic ham or smoked pork butt. A smoked shoulder can be boiled, roasted, or baked using any recipe for fully cooked ham.

Using a slow cooker, a smoked shoulder can also be used to make delicious pulled ham sandwiches, and leftovers make an excellent addition to scalloped or roasted potatoes, soups, egg dishes, beans or black-eyed peas, and macaroni and cheese casseroles.

Ingredients

  • 8 pounds smoked pork shoulder (picnic ham, fully cooked)
  • Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons whole cloves
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Optional: pineapple slices

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Remove any packing material from the pork roast, including a clear plastic piece which might be attached to the end of the bone.

  3. Put the roast in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Drain well.

  4. Heat the oven to 325 F (165 C/Gas 3).

  5. Line a large, shallow baking pan or roasting pan with foil.

  6. Carefully transfer the roast to the prepared baking pan, fat side up. 

  7. Using a sharp knife, cut the layer of fat from the pork. Discard the fat. 

  8. Score the pork in a diamond pattern. The cuts should be about 1/4-inch deep.

  9. If desired, stud the ham with whole cloves, one in the center of each diamond.

  10. In a small bowl, blend sugar with molasses and spices; brush the top of the pork.

  11. Bake the smoked pork at 325° for 20 minutes. Brush the outside of the ham with the remaining spiced molasses mixture and bake for 25 minutes longer, or until the ham is nicely glazed. If you want, place a few pineapple slices over the ham during that last 25 minutes.

  12. To brown the top of the glaze a bit more, put it under the broiler for 5 or 10 minutes.

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Expert Tips

  • If you have plenty of leftovers, you're in luck, because there are so many meals you can make with leftover ham. Use the leftover chopped or shredded ham in casseroles, in a quiche, or in the hash, or serve it with breakfast home fries. 

  • A boneless smoked shoulder can be used instead of the bone-in picnic.

  • Store the leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, or label and date the container and freeze the ham for up to 2 months.