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Smoked pork loin | How to smoke a pork tenderloin

I’m using my Weber grill – set up for indirect smoking – to smoke this pork tenderloin.

The pork loin I bought weighed 4.5lbs. I don’t bother trimming any excess fat off the pork tenderloin for general eating because it will keep the pork loin moist and shield heat from the pork loin during cooking. If you’re doing a pork 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 - you can find here: http://howtobbqright.com/bbqshop/

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 pork loin spacing the injections out about 1”.

Let the Pork Loin sit for about 30 minutes up to 4 hours before placing the pork loin 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 pork loin.

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 pork 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 140 - 145 degrees, so you’ll need a good probe thermometer to keep an eye on it.

After 1 hour of cooking the pork loin, it’s time to add another piece of wood and check on the loin. The Internal temp of the pork loin is right at 115 degrees at this point. Get the lid back on quick and keep smoking your pork tenderloin. 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 - you can find The BBQ Sauce here: http://howtobbqright.com/bbqshop/.

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 pork loin needs to rest as soon as it comes off. If you give the pork tenderloin 30 minutes, the pork loin slices will be extra juicy and you won’t end up with a mess on the cutting board.

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