The Pork Loin I bought weighed 4.5lbs. It’s pretty much ready right out of the cryovac just give it a quick rinse and pat with paper towel. I don’t bother trimming any excess fat off the tenderloin for general eating because it will keep the loin moist and shield heat during cooking. If you’re doing a loin in a contest you’ll want to remove the silver skin and any of the chain meat that’s left along the side. To season the pork loin I use 2 layers: First my All Purpose Rub (1 Part Salt, ½ Part Garlic, & ¼ Part Black Pepper) Second a light layer of The BBQ Rub.
I want the pork loin to stay moist and have flavor throughout the whole piece of meat, so I use an injection. Butcher’s BBQ makes a pork injection that’s perfect for Pork Loin. Mix 1 heaping Tablespoon with 16oz of Apple Juice and inject it all the way down the loin spacing the injections out about 1”. Let the Pork Loin sit for about 30 minutes up to 4 hours before placing it on the grill. (Remember it needs to be refrigerated if you let it sit out longer than 30min.) With my Weber Kettle set up for indirect cooking, the Pork Loin goes over the drip pan. For a little added moisture inside the grill I filled the pan ½ full with Apple Juice. This also acts as a heat sink to shield heat from the bottom of the meat. If you’re cooking on a different smoker, the cooking temp should be 250-275 degrees. On my Weber the top and bottom vents are cracked ¼ way. This will hold the temperature right in the 275 range which should give us about a 2 hour cook. Before the lid goes on the Weber, I added 1 chunk of Cherry Wood right on top the hot coals. One good size chunk produces enough smoke to give the loin flavor but not make it harsh. When this piece burns down, simply add another chunk.
It’s important to watch the internal temperature on a pork loin because it’s easy to dry them out. Pork loin is done at 145 degrees, so you’ll need a good probe thermometer to keep an eye on it. After 1 hour of cooking it’s time to add another piece of wood and check on the loin. The Internal temp is right at 115 degrees at this point. Get the lid back on quick and keep smoking. There’s no need to add more coals, but for long cooks plan to add more every 2 hours.
At the 1 ½ hour mark the Pork Loin was sitting at 125 degrees, and this is where I brush on The BBQ Sauce for a glaze. The sauce needs about 30 minutes to caramelize and get to that perfect, mahogany color. I always keep a close eye on the temp and color during the final cooking step. As soon as the Loin hits 140-145 get it off the grill. Like any piece of meat, the loin needs to rest as soon as it comes off. If you give it 30 minutes, the slices will be extra juicy and you won’t end up with a mess on the cutting board.
Once you’ve let it rest all that’s left is to slice it and get to eating. One little step I like to add is to brush just a touch of Captain Rodney’s on the pork loin slices. This is a sweet and spicy glaze that I think goes really well with pork. You don’t need this glaze because the pork loin is juicy and flavorful on it’s own… but if you want to give it a kick this will do it.
A pork loin like this will feed a lot of people. And since it only takes around 2 hours to cook, it’s a great option for tailgates and football parties coming up. Or just cook it for dinner – get a few good sides and you’ve got a meal you can write home about. Malcom Reed Connect on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Find me on Google+ Follow me on Instagram
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I tried your pork roast, delicous it was. But I pulled it at 145, let it rest 20 min. Tasted great but was not done. Did you make a mistake or do you like your pork rare? Ilooked on another site it says pork is done at 170. I guess i give it another try just bbq a little longer
I will take pork loin 145. That not rare – it’s just right.
But you’ve got to be more specific about what cut your talking about. If your talking about a Pork Butt Roast, you need to take it to 195-198 internal.
Hi Malcom! I bought a whole pork loin and had the butcher cut a chunk out of the center to smoke. It is round and about 6 inches in diameter and 6 inches long. Am I still looking at cooking it to 145 degrees or should it be longer since it is thicker than the on here on your video?
Thanks a bunch!
Mark
Yeah, I would still shoot for the 145 internal
Malcom, I am the hit of the neighborhood. I smoked a 4-5# pork loin this weekend following your recipe. A HOME RUN! Thank you and keep up the great work!
Mark
Malcom,
In your “Smoked loin receipe” video you spoke about a peach glaze. Where do I find the Captain Rodneys Peach Glaze? Tried several websites but all they offer is the peach bbq sauce. Really like to give it a try can you help me out with that?
Thanks,
I have found it at my local Kroger grocery store.
Followed these directions today and the meat was AWESOME!!!!
Now on to make my own rub as you described.
Thanks!!!
Hi Malcolm! you talk about “pork injection” added to apple juice. It isn’t available where I live..can you give me some idea what it consists of? I want to give this a try. You say it takes about 2 hrs for a 4.5 lb chunk of loin..but since I am cooking for just us two old folks we cut our pork loins into about 2 lb chunks..do you think it will take much less time ? (We just bought our smoker a couple weeks ago and I am using your web site as my smoker bible – did the pork belly burnt ends and if it kills me I will die happy! They were amazing!). Thanks for any info.
Yeah – I would go by internal temps instead of time. Or you could go ahead and cut them into pork chops and cook them that way – https://howtobbqright.com/2017/07/13/steakhouse-pork-chops/
Love your videos and recipes Malcom! I bought a kamado grill recently and you have become my go-to source for instruction and recipes.
This recipe calls for a pork injection but I only have one for poultry. Is there a substitute I can make and use? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Sure – you can use a mixture of apple juice, salt and sugar
HI Malcom it’s Martin from london england bet you never thought you would get an acknowledgment from this far been watching all your videos and learnt so much so i just had drop you line and say many thanks. Martin
Malcolm, how do you prepare the coals? Is it similar to the same method where you just light one end of do you fire em up in the chimney?