Smoked Lemon Pepper Pork Loin Recipe
This Smoked Lemon Pepper Pork Loin recipe makes an excellent summer-time sandwich. I start with a 5lb piece of center cut pork loin; you can find these at any grocery store. First remove the excess silver skin and drizzle the outside with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Season with coarse ground Kosher Salt topped with a good dose of Lemon Pepper (Sams Club Tone’s brand).
Now fire up your smoker and bring the temperature to 250⁰. I’m running my Yoder YS640 with BBQr’s Delight Pecan Pellets but any grill or smoker set up for indirect cooking will do the trick.
Once the cooker temp stabilizes, place the loin directly on the cooking grate and let the smoke roll! With pork loin you always want to cook by internal temperature. Insert a wired probe thermometer (I’m using my DOT by Themoworks – and I highly suggest checking it out here >>) after 30 minutes of cooking and set the alarm for 140⁰.
To keep the pork loin from drying out spritz it with a 50:50 mixture of Apple Juice and Red Wine Vinegar as needed. I start at the 45 minute mark and about every 30 minutes after that.
This loin is going to be sliced thin and served as a sandwich with pesto and a Caper Dill Mayo. The mayo needs about 2 hours in the refrigerator to come together, so go ahead and mix it up. Place 1 cup of good mayo (Dukes or Blue Plate) in a small bowl. Add the juice from half a lemon (about 2 Tablespoons), ¼ cup chopped capers, 4-5 cloves roasted garlic (minced), and 1 Tablespoon of finely chopped baby dill. Give the mixture a good stir and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it hang out in the refrigerator for a couple hours while the loin smokes. You can make this ahead of time if you want; it’ll keep for several days in the fridge.
Once the alarm sounds on the thermometer, the loin is ready to come off the pit. Place it on a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Don’t cut into pork loin immediately or all the juice will run out leaving you with dry loin. Give it at least 10-15 minutes, while you grill the bread for the sandwiches.
Slice several fresh ciabatta rolls in half and brush with olive oil. Grill directly over the fire for about a minute (on my yoder I took out the fire pot cover for direct access).
Now it’s time to carve the loin; use a sharp knife and cut it into thin slices about 1/8” wide.
To assemble the sandwiches spread the caper-dill mayo on the bottom half of the roll, layer 3-4 slices of pork loin on top and spoon prepared Basil Pesto over the top. Place the top half of ciabatta on and cut the sandwiches in half.
It’s that easy! This sandwich reminds me of summer; it’s packed with tons of flavor and the citrus and basil notes go great with the smokiness of the loin. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
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Smoked Lemon Pepper Pork Loin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Center Cut Pork Loin about 5 lbs
- 4oz Olive Oil
- 2 TBS Kosher Salt
- 2 TBS Lemon Pepper
- 8oz Prepared Basil Pesto
- 8oz Caper Dill Mayo *recipe below
- 8 Ciabatta Rolls
Instructions
- Prepare Yoder pellet smoker or other grill/smoker for indirect cooking at 250⁰. Use Pecan Pellets for fuel or add chunks of Pecan to fire for smoke flavor.
- Trim excess silver skin and fat from pork loin and drizzle the outside with 2oz of olive oil.
- Season all sides with Kosher Salt and Lemon Pepper.
- Place loin on smoker, baste with 50:50 mixture of Red Wine Vinegar and Apple juice every 45 min, until internal temperature reaches 140⁰ internal.
- Remove pork loin from smoker, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Brush cut side of Ciabatta rolls with olive oil and grill over direct flames until toasted about 1 minute.
- Carve pork loin into thin slices, layer ciabatta roll with Caper Dill mayo, 3-4 thin slices of pork loin, and top with a spoon of Basil Pesto.
Caper Dill Mayo
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup chopped Capers
- 4-5 cloves of Roasted Garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill finely chopped
- Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl and allow mayo to sit for 2 hours before using.
Smoked Lemon Pepper Pork LoinHave a Question About This Recipe?
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Hi Malcom,
I’m planning on doing this one on Saturday. Do you recall the total cook time for the pork loin?
Thanks for what you do!
Just watched the video and says 3 hrs for cook time – Thanks
Hi i have a Holland grill but I would like to get into smoking do I need to buy a new smoke grill if so
What would you recommend
I would suggest checking out the UDS Drum Smokers – they are inexpensive and a great entry-level smoker for the money.
https://howtobbqright.com/udssmoker/
Malcom I did my pork roast this way last night on my Rec Tec 680 with a dutch oven full of your smoked green bean recipie & sour cream & roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Didn’t make sandwiches this time but I will next time. This has to be one of the tastiest & moist pork roasts I’ve ever eaten.
Love your work.
glad to hear it!
I cooked this today and have to say that not only was it a hit with the family, but the caper dill mayo is a must-make accompaniment. Well done, Malcom!
I tried this and it was a huge hit and will be added to my favorites.
I have never had a bad cook when following Malcom’s directions. Thanks for posting and for all your videos.
Malcom: I tried your char glazed rib recipe. Those were some the best ribs I have ever made on my Rec Tech smoker. I loved watching the reaction of my friends first bite . Thank you for posting your recipe’s. I can’t wait to try some others that you have posted .
What a treat. So tasty and moist. Everyone love this meal. The caper dill mayo sauce was a huge hit too. Definitely will use this again. Thank you
I did one up on Sunday just had leftovers for lunch at work now that’s good eating
Malcolm, this recipe is spot on!!! I made this over Memorial day weekend, and it was a huge hit!!
everyone raved about it. I fired up my Traeger, added some sweet red peppers and smoked them along side the roast.
Thank you for all you do in the BBQ world. I really enjoy watching your videos and look forward to learning more!!!
I rarely leave any reviews for recipes, but this was phenomenal. The pork loin was simply yet savory, and the sauces for the sandwich really brought by it all together.
★★★★★
This recipe was great. The mayo really brought everything together. I used raspberry balsamic instead of the red wine vinegar and apple juice. I will definetly be making this again.
★★★★★