Smoked pork shank recipe

A pork hammer, also known as a smoked pork shank, is one of those cuts that turns heads the moment it hits the table. It looks prehistoric, smells incredible, and delivers that perfect balance of rich meat, crispy bark, and sticky glaze.

We’ll smoke this pork shank low and slow until the meat almost slides off the bone. It’s impressive, fun, and surprisingly simple once you know how to handle this cut of meat.

The pork hammer is what happens when a butcher decides to make a pork shank look like a medieval weapon. It’s the lower part of the pig’s leg, left long and meaty with the bone still inside. Once smoked, the bone turns into a built-in handle, making it perfect for showing off at the table.

The meat itself is tough at first because it’s full of connective tissue, but that’s exactly why it’s so good for slow smoking. As the temperature rises, all that collagen melts into juicy, tender goodness. The result is meat that’s rich, sticky, and full of deep pork flavour.

We seasoned our pork hammers with a store-bought BBQ rub, but any sweet-style rub will do the job. If you’d rather make your own, you’ll find a great homemade rub suggestion below.

Because we want that deep, smoky flavour, we set the pork shanks high in our smoker. Toss a few wood chunks into the charcoal tray and stabilise the temperature at 130°C (265°F).

After three hours, the meat will have taken on a deep mahogany-red colour, and you’ll see it pulling back from the bone even more. That’s when you know you’re on track. The internal temperature should be around 70°C (158°F), and honestly, if you can’t wait any longer, you can eat them now.

But we’re going a step further. We wrap the pork hammers in foil with a drizzle of agave syrup to make them even more tender. If you can’t find agave syrup, you can use honey or maple syrup as alternatives. The steam inside the foil helps the meat cook faster and stay juicy.

After about two hours, the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone. Handle them gently when unwrapping, because the meat is that tender. You could serve them right now, but trust me, one last step makes them unforgettable.

Brush the pork shanks generously with BBQ sauce and return them to the smoker for another 30 minutes at 160°C (320°F). The sugars in the sauce will caramelise into a thick, sticky coating.

After that, it’s time to dig in. Just be warned. You might need a quick shower afterwards. These things are gloriously messy in all the right ways.

If you make these pork hammers yourself, let us know in the comments or post your creation on Instagram. Tag @bbqhelden so we can see how yours turned out.