Smoked pork loin is something that I feel should be at every gathering. Christmas, weddings, birthdays, heck even a funeral is a good time for a smoked pork loin.
Smoking the perfect loin is a fairly straightforward process, however, there are a few tricks that I have picked up along the way which help me produce the perfect loin each and every time.
The most important trick to me is to smoke your loin with the fat at the bottom and with your best gas smoker such my absolute fav, the weber genesis ii lx s-340!
Having the fat at the bottom means your loin will consistency baste and keep it moist and full of flavour.
In this post I will explain how to smoke a pork loin and give you the best recipe I know!
How To Smoke A Pork Loin - The recipe
Smoked Boneless Pork Loin With Apple Cinnamon Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 - 6 lbs whole pork loin
Apple Cinnamon Sauce Ingredients
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 Large sweet apples Royal Gala are my favourites
Instructions
- To start off preheat your smoker to 225°F. For this recipe, I like to use an apple wood. It goes deliciously with the pork in this recipe.
- Remove all the excess fat, silver skin (membrane) from the outside of the loin.
- In a bowl mix together the ground cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper, cumin, onion powder, paprika & salt. Rub the loin with olive oil and sprinkle over some of the dry rub.
- Smoke the pork loin at 220°F for 3 hours. Basting as necessary. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. You are looking for an internal temperature of 155°F.
- If you have achieved an internal temperature of 155°F, transfer from the smoker to your platter and cover for at least 20 minutes before carving.
- If an internal temperature of 155°F is not achieved put back in the smoker, checking every half hour and basting as necessary.
Apple Cinnamon Sauce
- Finley chop the apples and place in a saucepan.
- On a medium heat add in sugar, rice wine vinegar, cinnamon, paprika, and salt & pepper. Cover and bring to a slow boil, lowering to a simmer until the apples are tender.
- Slice the pork loin in nice thick slices with a healthy helping of the apple cinnamon sauce drizzled on top.
How To Smoke A Pork Loin - How long?
Cooking your loin at the right temperature for the right amount of time is essential to coming away with a tender, moist and mouthwatering result.
Cooking times differ dramatically depending on the size, shape and weight of your loin. If your loin is very thin or thicker than your average you will have slightly different cook times to the below, however, the below can be used as a guide for an average loin.
Note: If you are smoking a boneless pork loin this will also slightly alter the cook times.
Now pork is one of the meats you CAN'T under cook. If you do you risk sending members of your family or friends or the hospital. I recommend grabbing a of one the best bluetooth thermometer, as well as following the table below to the T!
Temperature Guide For Smoked Pork Loin
When cooking pork loin (chops, roasts & tenderloins too) it is essential that you cook it to an internal temperature of at least 145° F.
This ensures that you will be eating the meat when it is at its most flavoursome and juicy state. Not to mention you will be eating it safely with no risk of food poisoning or any other nasty bugs.
Here is a my temperature guide to cooking pork by weight.
Size | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
2 pound | 220°F | 2.5 Hours |
4 pound | 220°F | 3 Hours |
5 pound | 220°F | 4 Hours |
6 pound+ | 250°F | 4 Hours+ |
Here are some great rub & sauce recipes that work really well with pork tenderloin!
- Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce – If you want something a with a sweet and smokey sauce at the end this sauce is perfect.
- Smoked Chicken Rub – Not only is this delicious on chicken , it is my standard ‘go to’ rub for pork as well!
If you hadn't noticed I absolutely love cooking with pork! Smoking the loin is a bit of a new concept for some people, so you have to make sure it comes out really nice and smoky! That mean you can't be leaking any precious smoke!
Using a smoker that leaks smoke can potentially ruin this meal, so I would recommend using a smoker that holds it smoke as well as its heat. I usually use my Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24" for this hot smoked succulent treat!
The Afterburn
So there you have it, my super easy smoked pork loin. This is a great easy recipe for anyone new to smoking or looking to impress their friends with minimum effort. I hope you enjoy it as much as myself and the family does!
Do you have a variation or any tips for this recipe? I would love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Happy Smoking
Charlie
Having a good knife can make all the different when your dealing with pork. So make sure you check out my thoughts on the best knifes of 2018.
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Wow! I’m going to try this on the weekend. We’re going to have a birthday party and I’m the one who’s cooking. Thanks for sharing this!