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Smoked Pork Loin with Green Beans
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Smoked Pork Loin

Moist, fork-tender pork loin smoked to mind-blowing perfection. Smoking meat, the ultimate slow-cooking method, retains all that juiciness and natural pork flavor. While this recipe is a fantastic crowd-pleaser any time of year, it's just as good for the holidays!
Course dinner
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Brining Time 3 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 200kcal
Author Imma

Equipment

  • 1 smoker

Ingredients

The Optional Brine

  • ¼ cup (72 g) kosher salt
  • ¼ cup (50 g) brown cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (4.66 g) black peppercorns, cracked
  • 4-6 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups (16 fl oz) chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 2 cups ice water

Smoked Pork Loin

  • 1 3-4 pound pork loin, trimmed
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, only if you don't use the brine
  • 2 tablespoons (24 g) brown sugar (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) Dijon mustard
  • 1-2 tablespoons (24 g) pork seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon (1 g) oregano
  • 2 teaspoons (10 g) granulated garlic
  • 2 teaspoons (10 g) granulated onion
  • 2 tablespoons (24 g) brown sugar

Instructions

Optional Brining (but highly recommended)

  • Put the salt, sugar, cracked peppercorn, and garlic in a pot, then pour the hot chicken stock (this will help dissolve the sugar and salt). Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
  • Then add bay leaves, thyme, and orange slices. Stir it, then add 2 cups of ice water.
  • Place the pork loin in the pot. Make sure it's submerged in the brine solution.
  • Cover the pot or container with a lid. Place in the fridge so the pork loin can brine for 3-4 hours, depending on the size of the pork. Prolonged brining will make it too salty.
  • Remove the pork from the brine, then rinse and dry with paper towels. Set aside on a cooling or cookie rack.

Preparing to Smoke

  • If you brined the pork loin, rub about a tablespoon of mustard to fully cover the pork loin (optional). If you didn't brine it, sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper, then rub on the Dijon mustard.
  • Generously sprinkle with pork seasoning, thyme, oregano, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and brown sugar. (You could replace these herbs with your fave seasoning blend. I have used several seasonings, and they all work well.)
  • Preheat the smoker to 225℉/107°C. Place the pork loin in the smoker and close. Smoke for 2-3 hours or until the meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 145°F/63℃. However, this cut of meat is very lean and shouldn't go over 150°F/66℃.
  • Remove it from the smoker and let it stand for about 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with chimichurri recipe or mango salsa.

Notes

  • Doneness - Unlike beef, pork should be cooked medium for perfect tenderness. Too rare, and it can harbor harmful bacteria. Too well done, and it feels like leather. Yikes!
  • Don't wrap in foil - It may keep the juices, but it keeps the smoke out. No good!
  • Keep your pork moist - A dry rub gives extra flavor and makes a crust to keep in more moisture. I love my Creole seasoning for this.
  • Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 180g | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1698mg | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 18mg