Pork Shank

This is how to cook pork shank boiled on the stove. It’s the best way to create fall-apart pulled pork with the forearm of a pig with a ton of flavor your whole family will love.

Wondering how to cook pork shank? We have a great way to make the meat fork tender with a ton of flavor. Use seasonings, a pork dry rub or toss with bbq sauce at the end to serve these as sliders or over mashed potatoes.

Maybe you saw these at the store and curious what they taste like, or how you’d need to cook it. I was too until they were on sale and so cheap I just couldn’t pass picking one up. This one was a little less than 2 pounds. Most vary between 1-2 lbs. so the timing should work for almost all of them.

What is a Pork Shank?

It’s the lower portion of a pig’s leg, located just above the hock and below the shoulder or ham, depending on whether it comes from the front or back leg. It contains a mix of lean meat, connective tissue, and marrow-rich bone, which makes it ideal for slow cooking methods like braising or roasting. When cooked low and slow, the connective tissue breaks down creating tender flavorful meat. These are often used in stews, soups, or served with vegetables and gravy.

Smaller than the piece we use when we make our Dutch oven pork roast, these still take a bit to get just right because the meat can be tough and chewy. BUT if you use a lot of heat for a longer duration of time you can break that down so it melts in your mouth.

Ingredient Notes

Typically the size you will find is about 2 lbs pork shank, that was what was what was used here so the timing would be accurate for that weight.

You want quite a bit of water or broth for the boiling portion, quite a bit so it’s submerged. If you want to add a bit of salt and flavor use some sort of broth (vegetable, beef or chicken) instead of plain water.

No matter what I always add some minced garlic to add lots of flavor while it is boiling. You could also add paprika and/or bay leaves as well.

And we created a sauce made of soy sauce with a bit of honey to give it sweetness too. I prefer to cook on the stove (as directed in the recipe card below in a dutch oven.

When I make a cut like an arm roast or this that are typically tough, that actually means the meat is really flavorful. I think it is best to allow those flavors to shine and not coat them with a lot of sauce but a bit is nice.

Is Pork Shank Good for Pulled Pork?

Yes! Oh my does it come out tender as ever when cooked properly. Boiled pork shank breaks down the connective tissue, then braised in the oven is best. In a pressure cooker is fantastic too.

We have used similar seasonings when making pork roast in oven at 375, or you could go the mustard sauce route inside for a bigger punch.

How Long to Cook Bone-In Pork Shank

You are going to want to set aside 3.5-4 hours or until the shank meat is falling off the bone. If you take it out and pull with a fork and it is firm it needs more time. I am talking it should need little to no effort when you press your fork in and pull just a bit. The juices should run clear and it should be pulling away from the bone on it’s ow.

Pull meat off with a fork, toss with a sauce and serve! You can do something similar with Beef Shank with Bone except that doesn’t take as long.

Now if you want to cook outside we love using our Traeger. This will take a bit longer than our smoked pork roast because there is a bone but there is less meat to break down so there isn’t a ton of variance.

Can you cook pork shank in a pressure cooker?

Yes we have made a few different types of Instant Pot pulled pork before, but we use different cuts every single time so we can share them with you. The biggest difference with this one is you don’t really add sauce into the pot at the same time. You’ll need to tenderize first, then add sauce once it’s pulled off the bones.

Season shanks with salt and pepper all over
2. Set to saute with a bit of olive oil, brown on all sides
3. Pour 1 cup of white wine into the pot
4. Set pork shanks with thickest part facing down into pot
5. Fill rest of pot with broth or water until meat is covered, you can leave bone uncovered
6. Pressure cook under high pressure for 1 hour, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes

Tip: You want to push the meat and skin down from the top of the leg like we did with our lollipop chicken recipe. That way you can put them the thick side down in the pot and not as as much water so they are covered.

How do you reheat a pork shank?

You want to allow the meat to reach room temperature which will take a good 30 minutes from the time of taking it out. Remove meat from the bones and transfer it into an airtight freezer bag or container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

When you reheat add a bit of sauce on top or broth to add some moisture to it. Heat in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes until warmed. OR put it into our Slow Cooker split pea soup recipe to add flavor and protein.