Of course everyone knows about the “big three” of barbecue: brisket, pork butt, and ribs. But have you ever learned how to smoke a pork loin?
Out of the package pork loin might be the most boring piece of meat ever. There isn’t a lot going on in terms of marbling and by itself it doesn’t have a lot of flavor. Smoking pork loin is the perfect way to add some flavor and personality to a fairly plain piece of meat.
Pork loin is usually sold whole as pictured above. A whole pork loin usually weights around 7-8 pounds and costs $2-3 bucks a pound which makes it one of the most economical pieces of meat you can buy. So a whole pork loin will run you $15-20 in most cases so you can feed a crowd for cheap. This is a great cut to serve company especially if you are on a tight budget.
A whole pork loin will easily feed 10-12 people or more depending on who you are feeding. When I buy pork loin I usually cut it into 2 or 3 pieces if I am just feeding my family (me, my wife, and 4 young children).
Since pork loin is fairly uniform throughout it will cook very evenly. Most pork loins also have a fat cap and you definitely don’t want to cut that off. Since there is pretty much no intermuscular fat you want to keep as much fat on the pork loin as you can. Once the pork loin is cooked this fat cap will be like butter and the bites that have a bit of the fat cap on them are sooooooo delicious and succulent.
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How to smoke a pork loin
Smoking a pork loin us a very simple process. Unlike cuts like brisket or pork butt that contain a lot of fat and connective tissue and take many hours to break down into something edible a pork loin can be done in 2 hours or less. Since it is a lean cut you just need to cook it until it is a safe internal temperature. Here are 4 steps to smoke a pork loin.
Season the pork loin
What? No trimming??? Nope, no trimming needed with most pork loins. Maybe there will be a couple bits and pieces you want to cut off but definitely don’t remove the fat cap that is present on most pork loins. The bites with a bit of fat on them are heavenly.
Like most meats I start with a dry brine. Give the pork loin a good sprinkling of kosher salt and let it sit on a rack in the fridge overnight. How much salt you use is dependent on which rub you use. If you are using a very salty rub go a bit lighter on the salt. If you make your own rub without added salt or are using a rub that isn’t very salty use a bit more. 1/2-1 tsp per pound is a good starting place.
Pork loin is a fairly blank canvas so you can use pretty much any seasoning you want on them. Lately I have really been loving the Sasquatch BBQ Erubtion rub from Spiceology. There are some ingredients in this rub I haven’t seen in many others including tomato powder and apple powder. The inclusion of brown sugar (most rubs use plain white sugar) also adds another layer of flavor. This rub isn’t spicy and it isn’t overly sweet but brings an awesome flavor to the pork loin.
The Sweet Lou rub from Barker BBQ is another favorite of mine.
Any other rub you like on pork butt or ribs will be great on pork loin as well.
Smoke the Pork Loin
Since pork loin is a fairly small piece of meat and since you don’t need to break down a bunch of connective tissue or render a lot of fat a pork loin will usually smoke in 90-120 minutes.
I set my Weber Kettle up with the Slow N Sear and smoke the pork loin indirectly at about 250 degrees. Pork loin will cook great on any type of smoker so if you have a pellet smoker, a barrel smoker or whatever just run it at whatever temp you like.
Anywhere from 225 to 275 will work just fine. I haven’t tried smoking at higher temps like 325 or more but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. The outside of the pork loin might dry out a bit at the higher temperatures but it shouldn’t be that bad.
I use a couple chunks of apple wood when I smoke pork loin but most any wood will work. Pecan and peach are delicious with pork and you could also use oak, hickory, or cherry. I would probably avoid mesquite since it is probably the strongest smoking wood.
You will want to keep a good eye on the internal temperature of the meat and for that I love the Thermoworks Smoke X4. It has 4 probes so I can easily keep track of the temperature of the grill and multiple pieces of meat.
The old school thinking was to cook pork to at least 165 degrees. Any pink in the meat was considered a no-no. Over the past few years though the USDA has revised their guidelines to 145 degrees as the safe temperature for pork roasts or chops. If you cook your pork loin to 145 degrees you will have a very juicy piece of meat that is nothing like the dry pork chops your mom or grandma used to make. Even 150 degrees is perfectly fine. Don’t be afraid to leave a little pink the middle of the meat either. Trust your thermometer and shoot for 145-150 degrees. It should take 90-120 minutes to get there.
Glaze the pork loin
This is a totally optional step but glazing the pork loin will allow you to add another layer of flavor to your pork loin.
When your pork loin is at 135 degrees give your pork loin a fairly light brush with your favorite bbq sauce. I would probably lean towards a sweeter sauce like Blues Hog Original (very sweet) or a frutier sauce like Blues Hog Raspberry Chipotle or Wright Peach Chipotle sauce. I would probably stay away from the more vinegary sauces with pork loin but a spicy sauce could add a nice kick too. After about 5 minutes or so flip the meat over and glaze the other side.
Glazing the pork loin with some sauce will give the meat a nice, glossy look as well as bringing some flavor. The sugar in the sauce will also caramelize and add even more great flavor. If you give the meat a quick blast of heat right at the end over the coals you will end up with a great color on the outside of the pork loin.
If you really want to bring some awesome flavor to your pork loin skip the sauce and use some of this Apple Cider syrup from Athol Orchards. They also make a “hot” version if you want to add a little heat.
I am sure you have had apple sauce on pork chops before and this apple cider syrup brings a similar flavor. The cinnamon and other spices in the syrup brings kind of an apple pie flavor to the pork loin which is a great compliment to the savory rub.
Slice the pork loin
After your pork loin hits 145-150 degrees pull it off the heat and give it a rest for a few minutes on a rack. When you are ready to serve slice it into fairly thin slices. I like 1/2 inch slices but feel free to go thicker or thinner depending on your preference.
After you have sliced the pork loin feel free to give the slices a light brush with the sauce or syrup you used to glaze the meat but I will usually just drag the meat across the cutting board to pick up any of the juices that come out after you cut.
That’s about it when it comes to how to smoke a pork loin. Season it, smoke it, and eat it. Since pork loin smokes in 2 hours it is a great weeknight dinner as well as a special occasion meal.
Now, if you want to take your pork loin to the next level give some heritage pork a shot. The flavor of well raised pork is totally different than the bland meat you will find in the grocery store. Snake River Farms has some 1.75 pound Kurobuta pork loin roasts for $35. Crowd Cow also sells some pasture raised pork loins that are worth checking out.
What else can be done with pork loin?
Pork loin is more versatile than just a roast. Slice it one or two inches thick and you have some great, lean pork chops. You can also brine it and smoke it for some amazing homemade Canadian bacon.
Also don’t confuse pork loin with pork tenderloin. Tenderloins are much smaller (around 1-2 pounds each) where loins are 8 pounds. The flavor and texture is somewhat similar but if you put them next to each other you will definitely see the difference.
If you have never smoked a pork loin before give it a shot. Pork loin is inexpensive, versatile, cooks quickly, and can be juicy and delicious.
