Smoking a Pork Loin for Pulled Pork (It’s Just As Tasty as Pork Butt)

We all LOVE pulled pork! It’s perfect in a burger or tacos or even just on its own!

This is so juicy that you barely need to add any sauce!

Now if you want to make it yourself (you should it’s bloody easy!) you might be wondering…

what is the best cut of pork to make pulled pork?

Most people will tell you to use pork shoulder or pork butt.

But those aren’t the only options out there for making excellent pulled pork.

If you want to make a small batch of pulled pork with a simpler process, we highly recommend going for pork loins.

We’ll go over how to prepare pork loins as well as how to smoke them to make the perfect pulled pork.

Isn’t Pork Loin the Same as Pork Tenderloin?

Pork loin is different from the pork tenderloin cut.

While their names are similar and they’re often mistaken as being the same cut of meat — they are not.

However, pork tenderloin is a good alternative to pork loin if you can’t find it.

They do share some of the same properties.

For example, they are both high in fat.

However, apart from that, they are not the same and they need to be cooked in different ways. 

Both of these cuts of pork require different cooking times and temperatures, so you mustn’t mix the two up.

While we won’t go into great detail about pork tenderloin. It’s important to note that pork loins are greater in length and they are also a lot flatter.

Pork loin can also be purchased boneless or with bones. 

If you do purchase pork loins with the bone still in, then they’re excellent for a pork roast and you can even cut them up and they’ll turn into mini pork chops

How to Prepare Pork Loin for Smoking

You may need to trim the loin. Although pork loin is usually pretty lean.

If you flip the piece of pork over, you’ll notice that the underside may have a thick layer of fat.

While this fat adds flavor to meat and keeps the meat moist and juicy while it’s cooking.

Although, if the layer of fat is too thick then it’s quite difficult for the smoke to penetrate the meat properly during the cook. 

This is why we recommend that you use a sharp knife to just trim away some of that excess fat.

You don’t want to get rid of the entire fat cap, because it helps add moisture and flavor, but you’ll want to thin out that layer of fat.

Should You Brine the Meat?

To brine something is to submerge it into a saltwater solution.

The goal is to season the meat while tenderizing the pork loin at the same time.

 As a result, when you leave your pork in the brine, you not only flavor it, but also increase its moisture content.

If you’re planning to add a finishing sauce or BBQ sauce to your pulled pork after shredding it, then you don’t need to bother with the brining process as that will add flavor and moisture

Flavor — The Importance of a Good BBQ Rub and Your Wood Choice

While you can skip the brine, you should never underestimate the importance of a good rub.

A dry rub is pretty much essential for every smoked meat recipe.

And the great thing about them is that while you can certainly buy a bottle at your local shops, it’s usually easier to just whip up your DIY dry rub.

Here’s a really good dry rub recipe that we highly recommend you try out for yourself. All you’ll need is:

• Brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• Smoked paprika
• Ground black pepper
• Cumin
• Tablespoon Onion powder
• Teaspoon Garlic powder
• Teaspoon cayenne pepper or a tablespoon of chili powder

Simply combine all of the dry ingredients and store them in a large mason jar.

DIY dry rubs are great because they are easy to make and can be kept for one to two years!

But it doesn’t matter what type of dry rub you use, as long as it contains salt, sugar, and some sort of spice.

After you’ve decided on your choice of rub, use your hands to generously cover the exterior of your cuts of meat.

What Wood Should You Use For Pulled Pork?

Next, you’ll have to consider what type of wood chips you’d like to smoke your loin with. 

Since we’re working with pork, try not to use stronger woods like hickory.

As it will become the dominant flavor. We recommend using applewood for pulled pork.

Smoking meats with different types of wood chips can drastically affect the meat’s overall flavor.

So feel free to experiment with all of the different kinds of wood available.

This will help you find out how flavor combinations you enjoy and work best for the protein your cooking.

What Temperature Should You Smoke At?

You must master the art of temperature control when smoking your pork loin.

While you’re busy prepping your cut of meat, you should also preheat your smoker or charcoal grill at 220°F.

Of course, this temperature is just a guide for you to follow.

If your cut of pork is larger or smaller then please adjust the temperature of your cooking appliance accordingly.

Now, the usual consensus is that pork loin should be taken off the heat once its internal meat temperature measures 145°F.

However, you do not want to follow this rule if you’re looking to serve up the best-pulled pork.

Sure, this is the ideal temperature that you should strive for when cooking pork loin.

But you will not be able to shred the meat properly if it’s only cooked to 145°F. 

Smoked pork loin needs to reach an internal temperature of 205°F for you to be able to shred it perfectly.

This is because the meat begins to fall apart at this temperature.

How Long Will Pork Loing Take To Cook At 220°F?

Pork loin cooks at a rate of 35 minutes per pound at 220°F.

However, as we mentioned above you should monitor the internal temperature of the meat.

Using a Pellet Smoker?

Want to use a pellet smoker? We gave a detailed recipe here for smoked pork loin, it also includes a delicious gravy to serve with it.

What to Serve With Pork Loin?

Need some yummy sides for your smoked pork loin?

Zesty Potato Salad With Wasabi

Smoked Corn

Smoked Zucchini

See what else to serve with smoked pork loin here.

And that’s all there is to make pulled pork out of pork loin!

It’s not only simple to make, but the results are wonderful and extremely flavourful.

You don’t need to rely on a cut of pork shoulder or pork butt to make a scrumptious serving of pulled pork.

Smoke On!

Charlie

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