Smoked Pork Loin Marinade
The first thing you want to do is get the meat in the marinade. You want to get at least three hours or so in the marinade, so I recommend doing it first thing in the morning, or even the night before. If you do it overnight, then make sure you have enough marinade to cover the entire piece of pork. If you do it in the morning, then you can easily just flip the piece of pork loin in the marinade about halfway through.
I also recommend scoring the loin with a knife about a quarter-inch deep before you put it in the marinade. Not only will this allow for greater penetration of the flavorful sweet and spicy marinade, but it will also help you get a nice sear on the pork exterior as well.
Why This Recipe Is The Best
I LOVE smoking pork tenderloin for so many reasons. First, it’s just such a tasty pork dish that can handle bold seasonings which gives it a great crust yet juicy interior.
Second, pork tenderloin is a very lean and healthy cut of meat. Packed with proteinand containing little fat makes this recipe a great choice if you are being health conscious, or is just a great benefit if you’re not!
Third, pork is EXTREMELY inexpensive. Just like chicken, pork being the “other white meat”, your dollar goes a long way when purchasing at your local grocery store or butcher.
What Is The Best Pellet Flavor For Pork Loin
Choosing the right variety of wood pellets can make or break your pork loin. A strong wood variety could overpower your pork loin and even impart a bitter taste. But, choosing a wood pellet variety that is mild might not give the smoked flavor you seek.
On the stronger end of the scale, you have woods like mesquite and hickory. Both kinds of wood have great classic earthy flavors suited to large beef cuts, like brisket. If used sparingly in a blend or as a starting flavor, they can add to your pork loin but will easily overpower a pork loins light flavor.
Pecan and maple are both kinds of wood with great depth and sweetness. We can recommend either wood pellets as an everyday choice to keep on hand for any meat you will put in your pellet smoker. However, we lean towards pecan because it is our favorite for pork ribs and works great for beef and chicken.
Our top choice is straight fruitwood pellets like cherry or apple. Cherry is a great choice and will certainly do a great job on pork, vegetables, or cold smoking cheese.
Without a doubt, applewood pellets are a top pick for any pork product, especially pork loin. Applewood brings a mellow smoke flavor that will not overpower pork and rarely gets bitter. Apple pellets are also versatile for smoking rare items, like salt, cheese, eggs, and vegetables.
Finally, applewood pellets are a great combination with apricot that is featured in the below recipe.
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Faq And Valeries Tips
Do you need to trim the silver skin from pork tenderloin?
If your pork tenderloin has not been trimmed, you should remove the silver skin. It is a silvery sheath of connective tissue that does not break down or soften during cooking. Its easy to trim silver skin with a sharp knife. Just cut into it and lift it up, carefully slicing down along the tenderloin to remove it. If you dont see silver skin, it just means that it was trimmed by the seller lucky you! Many times I find the pork tenderloin in the 2-packs come beautifully trimmed and ready to cook.
How long do you smoke a pork tenderloin?
It takes about 30 to 40 minutes per pound for a total of about 1 1/2 hours or slightly more to fully cook 2 pounds of pork tenderloin on a smoker. Different types of smokers will vary so be sure to start checking the temperature after the first hour.
What is the best temperature for smoking pork tenderloin?
Pork tenderloin is a small cut that should not be smoked at a temperature higher than 225 degrees F or youll risk cooking it too quickly. It needs time in the smoker to absorb and retain that rich, smoky flavor. Low and slow is best!
What is the best wood for smoking pork?
Ingredient Notes And Substitutions
You can prepare this delicious, juicy, flavorful smoked pork tenderloin on the electric smoker with basic ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
- Pork tenderloin. I used two tenderloins that were about 1-pound each. Carefully remove the silver skin with a sharp knife before preparing.
- Olive oil. I used olive oil to rub on the outside of the pork so the spice rub had something to stick to.
- Smoked pork tenderloin rub. I used homemade spice rub. It is fantastic on chicken and pork. It contains brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, roasted garlic and peppers seasoning, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper. I also made a dry rub for pork that goes fantastic on pork tenderloin. You can also use your favorite dry spice rub instead.
See the recipe card for quantities.
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# How To Smoke A Boneless Pork Loin On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Steps to follow:
Why This Recipe Works
EASY: Smoking a pork tenderloin is one of the easiest cooking methods. It requires very little time and effort from you – all you have to do is add a little bit of wood to generate smoke. In addition, you can smoke your food hands-off, which means you’ll have more time to chat with your guests!
DELICIOUS: The smoky flavor is gently infused into each tender bite of pork. Smoking the pork produces a great smoky taste that will make your mouth water!
SUPER MOIST: I’m not kidding when I tell you the pork is SO juicy and tender! I took my first bite and OMG, so good!
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Smoked Pork Loin Should Have Leftovers
You definitely want to make sure there are leftovers. It will be hard but do whatever it takes, like making twice as much as you intend to serve. Why? Because leftover smoked pork loin sliced up later for use in sandwiches and salads rocks hard, like bang your head and point at the sky with your arms raised high hard.
Thats right. Smoked pork loin is like the culinary equivalent of a smoking hot guitar solo.
How To Cook A Pork Tenderloin On A Pit Boss Grill
Start by preheating and turning on the smoke feature on the Pit Boss grill. Set the temperature on the Pit Boss grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and close the lid for 15 minutes to let the grill to warm properly. Once the grill is set and the pork tenderloin has soaked up all of the flavors from the seasoning, it is time to sear it on the grill.
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How Do You Keep A Pork Loin Moist When Smoking
It doesnt have a ton of fat, but it has enough to keep it juicy while it is on the smoker. Temperature is everything with this roast. I set my smoker to 225 degrees F and smoke for 2-3 hours. Keeping the temperature nice and low in your smoker ensures that this roast doesnt dry out and maintains moisture.
How To Remove The Silver Skin On Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin is notoriously lean but there is a bit of tough connective tissue called silver skin, which should be removed prior to cooking. Its really tough and unpleasant to eat, so do yourself a favor and remove it. Heres how:
- Using a sharp knife, slip the knife in between the pork tenderloin meat and the silver skin cutting a bit of it away from the meat.
- Holding the flap of silver skin in one hand, work the knife down the pork tenderloin from the thick end towards the thin end, with your knife cutting at slight upward angle to remove the silver skin.
- Thats it! Discard the silver skin, rub the pork tenderloin, and smoke it!
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More Delicious Pork Recipes
Given all the choices, smoked pork loin has to be one of my favorites, but I do have some other great pork recipes to check out, too, including my latest Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Pork Ribs. Did you know that you can use a pork loin chop in place of ribs when you are unable to find ribs at the store? You sure can!
Preheat The Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Get the best pellets that you want to use with the cooking process. There are many different options that you can choose from Pit Boss and they even recommend pellets for recipes.
For this specific recipe, Pit Boss Pellet Grills suggest using their very own Cherry Hardwood Pellets. You can also use apple pellets as they will also give a richer fruity flavor.
So, fill up the pellet hopper with the pellet of your choice and then fire up the pellet grill.
Set the temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and let it preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
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Suggested Pork Tenderloin Rubs And Marinades
There are so many great rubs and sauces out there from specialty shops to grocery stores. Traeger offers a variety pack of rubs including six different flavors. If you love sampling, check these out!
Smokey BBQ: check out the Pork Rub from Traeger Grills. It has a warm smoke flavor that finishes with a soft sweetness. For this flavor profile, opt for a lower-slower cooking process mentioned in the recipe card below.
Garlic and Herb Crusted: blend together minced garlic with fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Pull the fresh herb mixture together with olive oil, salt, and pepper. For this recipe, use the medium cook time running the Traeger at 300F for about an hour.
Teriyaki: for a very quick cooking pork loin, a strong bottled teriyaki marinade is my go to. A couple hours in the marinade, quick cook time, and extra sauce on the side for dipping is everything you need on a weeknight. Follow the temps and times- 375F for 18 minutes.
What Temp To Cook Pork Tenderloin On Pellet Grill
Pork tenderloin is best cooked on a pellet grill at a temperature of between 325 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pork tenderloin is a lean cut of meat, so it is important to cook it at a lower temperature to prevent it from drying out.
Pellet grills are an easy way to cook pork tenderloin. It can be served as a main course for a dinner party, as an appetizer for a football game, or served as an outdoor barbecue main course. It can be served with a side of corn, a salad, or mashed potatoes. Pellet grills make this juicy pork tenderloin a delicious addition to any grill party. Because of its moist and flavor-packed meat, the electric pellet grill is an excellent way to prepare this delicious food. To cook pork tender loin on the smoker, place it in a smoking pot with 225 degrees F heat to cook tenderloins, place them in the same pot with 225 degrees F heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you want, make sure to add your favorite BBQ sauce 30 minutes before they are done.
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How Long To Cook Pork Loin On Pellet Grill
Pork loin is a lean and tender cut of meat that is perfect for grilling. When cooked properly, pork loin is juicy and full of flavor. Pork loin is a relatively lean cut of meat, so it is important not to overcook it. Depending on the size of the pork loin, it will take approximately 20-30 minutes to cook through on a pellet grill. When cooking pork loin on a pellet grill, it is important to use indirect heat. This will help to prevent the pork loin from drying out and becoming overcooked.
How To Cook Pork Loin On Traeger Grill
Depending on how you purchase your pork loin roast, you may need to remove skin and fat. Cut back the fat on the pork loin so it is about 1/4 inch thick. Most of the time when I get a pork loin from the grocery store, it is ready to go. Dont cut off all the fat, or your pork will be more likely to dry out.
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Pork Loin Vs Pork Tenderloin
These two terms are used interchangeably a lot of the time, but they are two very different cuts of meat. This means they can not be substituted in a recipe.
First of all, the come from two different place of a hog. The loin comes from the back of the animal and the tenderloin actually comes from the muscle that runs along the back bone. This cut of meat can be cut into smaller pieces of meat, which are called pork chops.
A pork loin is wider and flatter and can be a boneless or bone-in cute of meat. For this recipe we use a boneless pork loin.
The pork tenderloin is a long, narrow, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. If you are looking for a tenderloin recipe are favorites are these grilled recipes including Asian Pork Tenderloin and BBQ Tenderloin.
The tenderloin is small than the pork loin so if you substitute them for each other they cook at different rates.
New Usda Recommendation For Pork Cooking Temperature
Raw or undercooked pork products are exempt from this change. If the internal temperature of the pork exceeds 190 degrees Fahrenheit, it can be continued to cook at 160 degrees for 3-5 hours. The same 145 F cooking temperature applies to beef, veal, lamb, and mutton. What does this mean for your pork consumption? The USDA recommends that pork be cooked at 145 F and that it be given a three-minute rest time before serving. Raw or undercooked pork products are the only ones that will be affected by this change. If you want to cook pork at 160 degrees for 3-5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees, do so. How long should a pork tenderloin be kept in the oven to cook? When the pork tenderloins are cooked at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, they should take 20-25 minutes per pound or until they reach 155 degrees Fahrenheit during the last few minutes.
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Is This Pork That Good
Yes! I love this smoked pork loin recipe and find it extremely tasty. The loin is a large cut of meat and when cooked correctly will be nice and juicy.
Due to the meat being such a large piece, the middle will be a little dryer than the outside. This is why it makes such a good Sunday roast and is best when served with gravy.
There is nothing better than having some nice potatoes and smoked pork loin with a rich gravy on top. You’re gonna love this pork, so fire up the smoker.
Preheat The Pit Boss Grill
Pit Boss recommends using Apple Hardwood pellets to get all the smokiness and sweetness that you want for this recipe.
However, you can use any type of wood pellets that you want.
Preheat the Pit Boss grill and turn the grill on smoke. Once it is ready, set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, close the lid, and allow the Pit Boss grill to preheat for 15 minutes.
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Resting / Slicing / Serving
After you pull the finished smoked pork loin off the smoker, allow it to rest LOOSLY tented under aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute back within the meat before slicing.
After resting, slice the meat into ¼” – ½” thick pieces. Serve with your favorite sides and pork gravy. I like using the easy to make great tasting packets of pork gravy, no one has to know it was made from a packet!
Serving as a proper Sunday Roast is my favorite way. Choose between any of these great tasting sides and you will sure to impress your guests or hungry family!
More Pork Recipes To Love
We cook a lot of pork around here. My daughter is allergic to poultry, so pork is basically one of the only white meat options we have if I dont want to whip up separate meals or indulge in her canned beef ravioli obsession. Not that Im complaining. Pork is delicious.
We tend to use more tenderloins than pork loins here, but no matter what cut or type of pork you are cooking we probably have a recipe for it! Here are some of my favorites below.
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Best Wood Chips / Pellets
My favorite wood chips to use on smoked pork tenderloin is an oak, pecan, hickory, or applewood or cherry wood. These woods impart a fantastic flavor that goes great with this pork recipe.
Mesquite wood is very common to use when smoking meats, but is a little to strong for pork in my opinion. Sticking with a milder wood is best here.
A competition or trophy blend of pellets can also be used. This is usually a mixture of several different types of hard wood which gives a nice smooth smoke flavor to the meat.