Smoked Pork Loin

A moist, fork-tender roast 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

Cuisine American, Southern

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Brining Time 3

Total Time 6 10

Servings

Calories 96kcal

Author Imma

Equipment

1 smoker

Ingredients

The Optional Brine

¼ cup (72g) kosher salt
¼ cup (50g) cane sugar
2 teaspoons (5g) cracked black peppercorns
4-6 cloves garlic
2 cups (475ml) chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1 orange, sliced
2 cups (475ml) ice water

Smoked Pork Loin

1 3-4 pound (1.5-2kg) pork loin, trimmed
2 tablespoons (30g) Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons (12-24g) pork seasoning
1 teaspoon (1g) dried thyme
1 teaspoon (1g) oregano
2 teaspoons (10g) granulated garlic
2 teaspoons (10g) granulated onion
2 tablespoons (24g) brown sugar (optional)

Instructions

Optional Brining (but highly recommended)

Put the salt, sugar, cracked peppercorn, and garlic in a pot, then pour in the hot chicken stock (sugar and salt dissolve better in hot liquid). Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
Add bay leaves, thyme, and orange slices. Stir and add 2 cups of ice water to cool it off.
Place the pork loin in the pot and submerge it 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 its size. Prolonged brining will make it too salty.
Remove the pork from the brine, rinse, and dry it with paper towels. Set aside on a rack.

Smoke It

For brined pork: Rub about a tablespoon of mustard to completely cover the pork loin.
For unbrined pork: Sprinkle it generously with salt and black pepper, and then rub it with the Dijon mustard.
Generously sprinkle the loin with pork seasoning, thyme, oregano, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and brown sugar. (You could replace these herbs with your favorite seasoning blend. I have used several, and they all work well.)
Preheat the smoker to 225℉ (107 °C). Place the pork loin in the smoker and close it. 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 rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with chimichurri 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.
Don't wrap. 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