Whole pork loins can be found in almost every grocery store. It is a fairly inexpensive cut of meat to marinate, rub, and cook low and slow in a smoker. And for large groups, it’s a perfect easy-to-serve dish…one that’s different and will have your quests complimenting you all night.
The entire pork loin is located on either side of the pig’s backbone. It is usually around 30″ long and can be divided into different “roasts”. You will see these referred to as a “top loin roast” or a “center loin roast”. Smaller, more manageable piece of meat.
I prefer to buy the whole pork loin at stores like Costco or Sam’s and cut it myself. It’s quite easy and with a sharp knife you can do it yourself in no time.
You’ll want to take the meat out of the packaging first and give it a quick rinse. Next, trim off the silver skin (the thin “silver-colored” skin), as well as any excess fat that may be attached. After a few minutes of trimming, you should be left with a clean piece of lean meat.
It is not necessary to remove all fat, but large deposits should be removed. The smaller bits of fat will melt during cooking and keep the meat moist. At this point, you can split the set into smaller sections or leave it whole. It depends on the size of your smoker and how many people you want to serve.
The tenderloin can be used for several things: It can be cured into Canadian Style Bacon, Cut into Loin Chops, Cut into Country Style Ribs, or Smoked Whole. But with this recipe we are going to smoke it whole. This is a perfect recipe for a backyard barbecue or large party.
To smoke it whole you will need a few things:
• Smoker for indirect cooking
• Firewood and Coal as fuel
• “The BBQ Rub” by Killer Hogs.
• Pickling
• Meat thermometer
Pork tenderloin on its own doesn’t have much flavor, but the great thing about it is that you can infuse it with whatever flavor you like. I do this by marinating everything overnight.
The marinade consists of:
• 1 cup of apple juice
• 1 cup of pineapple juice
• Cup of Olive Oil
• Cup of Red Wine Vinegar with Garlic
• cup of Dijon mustard
• cup of maple syrup
• cup of molasses
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Fresh thyme, parsley and oregano (a few sprigs of each chopped together)
Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large pot and heat gently. It doesn’t need to boil; just heat it up enough to combine the flavors
Cool the marinade and place the Whole away in a large container. I use a 3 gallon Zip Lock bag, but any container big enough for the task will work.
Pour the marinade over the bale and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. More flavor will go into the meat the longer you let it sit in the marinade.
When you are ready to cook the tenderloin, remove it from the marinade. Allow excess marinade to drain off before applying the next step.
Now is the time to season the Whole Far.
I use The BBQ Rub. because it has the perfect amount of sweetness, flavor and heat… but you can use whatever seasoning you prefer.
You start with a coating of Dijon mustard all over the tenderloin first, and then sprinkle it with The BBQ Rub.
Allow the whole tenderloin to rest while the smoker reaches the proper smoking temperature. The smoker should be 225 degrees with light smoke. For wood I use cherry. The smoke from the cherry adds a nice smooth flavor to the tenderloin and won’t overload it with a harsh flavor.
Once the smoker comes up to temperature, place the tenderloin on the grill and enjoy a cold drink. The hard work is done and now it’s time to let the smoker do his job.
Maintain 225 degrees and in 2 hours check and see what the internal temperature reading is. The target temperature is 145 degrees and it will take approximately 3-4 hours to reach this temperature.
If you overcook it, the meat will be very dry, which is why I start checking the internal temperature at 2 hours…and then continue to check every 20 – 30 minutes until I reach an internal temperature of about 135 – 140 Once it reaches this internal temperature, it’s time to start glazing the pork loin.
For my glazed pork loin, I like to mix together pineapple juice and 50:50 BBQ sauce and brush the outside of my loin. Also, you can add apple jam, preserves, honey, or anything sweet to the outside of your tenderloin at this time. Adding a sweet glaze at the end will complement the flavor of the pork and keep it from burning.
Keep a close eye on the polish because it will darken quite quickly. It is important not to have the heat too high when frosting. Caramelizing sugars can go from rich and sweet to darkly bitter in minutes.
I like to let the glaze sit on the pork loin and “bake” it for about 30 minutes.
When the tenderloin reaches the desired internal temperature, 145° internal, remove it from the smoker, cover the tenderloin with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Removing it from the smoker at 145 and letting it sit will allow the natural juices to redistribute throughout the meat. This is an important step and should not be skipped. Don’t worry about your pork loin getting “cool” because after the resting period it will still be very hot…but it won’t lose all the juices like it would if you cut it right away.
Once it’s rested, it’s time to cut it into portions to serve and enjoy.
Serving suggestions are to simply cut the tenderloin into medallions (about 1-1.5 inches thick) and air them out on a plate, adding a bowl of 50:50 BBQ sauce and pineapple juice to the side for dipping.
Or you can place your medallions on slider buns and serve with a side of Dijon or hot mustard.
