Channel your inner Viking and present the show-stopping Smoked Thor’s Hammer at your next event! It just doesn’t get more impressive than this! Tender, delicious, and smoky, this meat-fest is a true feast!
This post may contain affiliate link(s). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure.
What the heck is that you ask? Smoked Thor’s Hammer is a smoked beef shank that’s been Frenched (cut down away from the bone), trimmed, and tied. It’s a colossal piece of bone and meat, and you can channel your inner Viking when you’re hauling this mammoth cut of meat on and off the smoker.
It’s a showpiece for sure, but the flavor lives up to the hype! The meat is beefy, tender, juicy, and bathed in chipotle butter. The meat pulls like pulled pork and is perfect on top of nachos.
What you’ll love about Smoked Thor’s Hammer
- It’s a stunning edible showpiece that will have everyone talking!
- It’s packed full of beefy flavor!
- It’s so fun to eat and can be served in several ways!
Where The Heck Can You Get This?
Wondering how to buy Thor’s Hammer? This beef version of Thor’s Hammer will most likely need to be ordered from your butcher. Here’s what to ask for:
- You want a beef shank with a bone about 10-12 inches long.
- The meat should be Frenched, exposing about 2-inches of the bone at the top.
- The shank should be sawed at the bottom so that it sits flat.
- Trimmed and tied – see if your butcher will trim the fat and silver skin off the beef, then tie it up. You may have to do this step, but it’s not complicated. If you’ve trimmed a brisket, you can handle this.
How Big Is Thor’s Hammer?
This is a colossal piece of meat and bone – I won’t lie! Our last one rang in at about 10 pounds. Most of that is bone weight, but it sure is fun to pull this sucker off the smoker to dazzle guests!
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need to make your own Smoked Thor’s Hammer:
- Beef shank – Trimmed and tied. See the notes above.
- Coarse salt – I love kosher salt for smoking.
- Pepper – Coarsely ground black pepper – and lots of it!
- Butter – Salted is fine.
- Chipotle pepper & adobo sauce – Look for the canned chipotle peppers.
- Smoked paprika – It can be spicy or mild.
- Onion powder
- Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves.
- Lime – Fresh lime juice.
You’ll Also Need
- Traeger pellet grill/smoker – Or another smoker capable of holding consistent heat.
- Pellets – I use hickory or a blend when smoking beef shank.
- Digital meat thermometer – Cook to temp, not to time!
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil – A must-have for smokers.
- Foil container – Another must-have for smokers. If you don’t have a stack of these, get a stack.
How To Make Your Smoked Thor’s Hammer
For a complete list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
Smoked Thor’s Hammer isn’t hard to make, but it will take some time. Start this early in the morning if you want to eat it for dinner.
- Preheat your smoker to 180-F as per the manufacturer’s directions.
- Rub the beef shank with cooking oil, then sprinkle on salt and pepper. You want it well-seasoned.
- Lay the shank on the smoker bone side down and smoke it at 180-F for about 4 hours.
- Make the compound butter while the shank is smoking by pulsing the softened butter, garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, paprika, onion powder, and lime juice in a food processor until well mixed.
- Remove the butter from the food processor and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate it for at least an hour or until it is hard.
- Remove the shank from the smoker and get ready to wrap it in foil. You’ll need heavy-duty foil or 2 layers of regular aluminum foil.
- Slice about 2/3 of the compound butter and add it to the top of the shank before enclosing it in the foil.
- Set the wrapped shank into an aluminum foil pan to catch any drips if you spring a leak in your foil.
- Smoke at 300-F for an additional 5-6 hours or until the meat reaches 205-F with an internal thermometer.
- Remove from the smoker and let it rest for about 30 minutes (still wrapped) before serving.
- Spoon the accumulated juices over the meat, and you can also melt the rest of the chipotle butter to spoon over the top. Then serve!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- This is not a quick smoke. Beef shank is filled with connective tissue and tough meat – it’s going to take a while to get tender.
- Season the meat aggressively – the shank can take it.
- You can finish it in the oven if you don’t want to burn the pellets. It won’t take on any more smoke flavor after the initial smoke.
- The smoking and braising combination works wonders on this meat, infusing it with amazing flavors.
This full-color ebook cookbook features more than 50 of Chef Jenn’s tried, tested, and favorite smoker recipes! Enjoy:
- Smoked Beef Kabobs
- Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Pork Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
- Smoked Spaghetti Squash with Herbs
and so much more!
How To Serve Thor’s Hammer
This is the ultimate party food! Set this hunk of meat on the table, then step back and enjoy the applause! I love serving this with guests – you’ll be the talk of the town, for sure! Who can top this? You have 2 choices when dealing with the meat – serve it already pulled, or let your guests pull it from the bone. Then, serve it however you like, or check out the suggestions below:
- Serve the meat with nacho fixings – tortilla chips, pico de gallo, hot sauce, cheese, refried beans, and more.
- Enjoy the meat in a build-your-own taco bar.
- Serve Thor’s Hammer with equally impressive smoked sides like Smoked Cauliflower, Smoked Mac and Cheese, Smoked Biscuits, or Smoked Mashed Potatoes.
Recommended
How Long Does It Take To Smoke Thor’s Hammer?
From start to finish, our 10-pound behemoth took about 10 hours.
Storage
You can store any leftover beef shank in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Keep the bone in the refrigerator until you’re ready to give it to Fido.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering what Thor’s Hammer is? The beefy version is a trimmed beef shank. The bone is long (about 10-12 inches), and the whole thing can weigh around 10 pounds.
This is not a quick smoke. Give yourself the whole day – at least 10 hours – to make this masterful meat mouthwateringly tender and delicious.
Cook to temp, not time! Thor’s Hammer should reach about 205-F to be tender. Or, check if it is probe tender – a probe should slide easily into the meat with no resistance.
Step By Step Process
Smoked Thor’s Hammer
Equipment
- Pellets
- Heavy duty aluminum foil
- Large foil pan
Ingredients
- 1 beef shank 2-inches of the bone Frenched, the meat trimmed and tied. 8-10 pounds.
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 chipotle pepper
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tabelspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 180-F as per the manufacturer's directions.
- Rub the beef shank with cooking oil then sprinkle on salt and pepper. You want it well-seasoned.
- Lay the shank on the smoker bone side down and smoke it at 180-F for about 4 hours.
- Make the compound butter while the shank is smoking by pulsing the softened butter, garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, paprika, onion powder, and lime juice in a food processor until well mixed.
- Remove the butter from food processor and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate it for at least an hour or until it is hard.
- Remove the shank from the smoker and get ready to wrap it in foil. You'll need heavy duty foil, or 2 layers of regular aluminum foil.
- Slice about 2/3 of the compound butter and add it to the top of the shank before enclosing it in the foil.
- Set the wrapped shank into an aluminum foil pan to catch any drips if you spring a leak in your foil. Don't worry if it doesn't fit – the bone end can stick out of the container.
- Smoke at 300-F for an additional 5-6 hours or until the meat reaches 205-F with an internal thermometer.
- Remove from the smoker and let it rest about 30 minutes (still wrapped) before serving.
- Spoon the accumulated juices over the meat and you can also melt the rest of the chipotle butter to spoon over the top. Then serve!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- This is not a quick smoke. Beef shank is filled with connective tissue, and it is tough meat – it’s going to take a while to get tender.
- Season the meat aggressively – the shank can take it.
- You can finish it in the oven if you don’t want to burn the pellets. It won’t take on any more smoke flavor after the initial smoke.
- The smoking and braising combination works wonders on this meat, infusing it with amazing flavors.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
Want More Delicious and Easy Recipes?
- Steaks on the Blackstone
- Smoked Lamb Chops
- Leftover Roast Beef Stroganoff
- Smoked Asparagus
- Smoked Shotgun Shells
What a fun idea! I’m so glad I took your advice and seasoned the meat aggressively because it turned out amazing.
So glad you loved it!
OMG this makes a BIG statement! I made it for a vikings themed party and everyone loved the smoked thors hammer centrepiece!
What a showstopper! This was delicious and a real conversation starter around the table. Everybody loved how tender the meat was. And wow! That smoky, spicy flavor is something I found myself craving, again, even after the meal was over. Great recipe! Leftovers made a delicious burrito rice bowl.
My 3 boys were so excited by this! Even the teenager who doesn’t show excitement about anything at the moment 😉
They took photos and were sending it too all their friends!
Needless to say I am now the cool mum with all of their friends!
And it was delicious!!!
This was such a fun and unique recipe! We especially liked the smokiness that the adobo and paprika added. Thank you for another winner!
can this be done in the oven???
You could, sure. Cooking it low and slow would be best unless you want to braise it which would be a whole different recipe 🙂
Good luck! ~Jenn