Pork Loin ... Would This Work?

[Indybbq]

I've smoked a couple loins before but never have been overly thrilled w/ the taste. I don't have an issue with keeping them moist. I've tried injecting and I've tried binning to add additional flavor but don't seem to get much taste out of them besides the rub that's on the outside.

So my question is this...

If you smoked a pork loin until I/T got to about 120-130F and then slice it up and apply a light coat of rub to the slices before putting them on a hot grill to finish them. Would they dry out too quickly from being sliced?

If not this, what would be other ways to add more flavor (besides just coating slices in sauce) to a pork loin?

Thanks!

 

[pmad]

If you slice and then grill, you will lose lots of moisture

 

[fantomlord]

I would either keep it whole for the entire cook, or slice into chops prior to cooking.

Either way, you can prevent it from drying out by brining, and then cooking to 145° IT, and let rest. The most important part is not overcooking it.

 

[Indybbq]

Right I know I don't want to overcook it. It's just cooking it whole doesn't seem to impart much flavor.

If done in chops how long would it need to be cooked and would each chop still retain the same level of moisture?

 

[lashing1c]

Have you ever considered stuffing the pork loin. I slice the pork loin according to the video below then brine it. The brine will go in further because the meat is thinner of course. Then season it how you like it and stuff with items you like. It can be as simple as Stove top stuffing or you can use sundried tomatoes, onions, and Mozarella cheese.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eCpL6cj7Rw"]Stuffed Pork Loin Recipe : How to Prep Meat for Stuffed Pork Loin - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Smokin J's PIts]

Just about the only time I smoke a loin, its to slice up for lunch meat, and when we do that I have one of the vacuum seal canisters that I will pour my marinade into with the loin, pull a vacuum on it and it will sit in the fridge for 3 days prior to cooking. When it goes on the pit a run a little bit of dirty smoke thru it for the first hour, just to get that really heavy smoky flavor to it, then I let it ride with blue smoke till done, when I pull it I treat it like a brisket, I wrap it in foil and in the cooler it goes for an hour, pull and let sit on the counter until I can comfortably touch it with bare hands without getting burned, then its in the fridge to firm up and solidify the juice a little so its easy to run thru my slicer. Being that I cut it about a 1/16th thick, it really takes that heavy smoke to give it flavor.

 

[fantomlord]

Right I know I don't want to overcook it. It's just cooking it whole doesn't seem to impart much flavor.

If done in chops how long would it need to be cooked and would each chop still retain the same level of moisture?

interesting...I usually get good flavor doing them whole.

as far as chops, cook those by IT, not time, and none of them should dry out if you don't overcook.

 

[quamdar]

I would try cold smoking and cooking it as little as possible if you wanted to slice and grill. Pork loin is pretty cheap, it's worth a shot I guess.

 

[SkinnyVinny]

Cook it til 140, slice and serve! Nothing wrong with a lil pink in the piggy!

 

[don24]

its the lack of fat, fat is flavor. take a long sharp knife and insert into the center of the end of the loin and make a hole through the length of the whole loin. now grab a whole pepperoni stick and pull off the skin but keep whole. insert pepperoni through the loin, think what a pencil looks like. some times I will butterfly it way open ending up with a large sheet of pork . season well and add sautéed mushrooms onions ,pepperoni slices , and a good amount of spinach tie off and grill fast and hot. bacon wrap can go on either for a nice self basting option.

 

[markdtn]

I do similar to above but use a sausage in the middle instead of pepperoni. Freeze the sausage so it is stiff, poke a knife through the center of the pork loin, insert sausage, allow a bit for sausage to thaw and cook. Keeps it moist.

 

[Greenhornet]

Stuffed with veggies/cheese then wrapped in bacon, zero flavor issues but I also like them injected.

 

[Bludawg]

It's supposed to taste like pork what kind of flavor are you looking for Not pork Cut it into tenderloin sized strips and treat it like a tenderloin it will have less sectional density and will give you more surface area for brines and marinates.

 

[Zak]

It may just be the loin and not the cook. I tried for a long time to get a really moist loin cooking them different styles, thicknesses, stuffed, unstuffed, cut into chops, left whole, brined, seasoned, smoked, rotisseried, different internal temps, etc. I had just about given up when i happened upon some whole loins at a local meat market. Turned out to be the best, moistest loin i've ever had. Cooked the same way, to the same internal temp as the others but this one was awesome!!! The common denominator here was that the others were from older hogs and came as pre-cut chops or cyrovac'd whole loins. The ones that were the way they should be came as a whole loin that the meat market put in a large plastic bag so it was fresh. I refuse to buy cryo loins now because i know they'll come out tough and dry, even cooking it to 135 and resting it. But, i cook the fresh loin the same way and it's just soo good. Not to mention since it get the whole loin there's the ribs i take off, tenderloin, plus other scraps for sausage so yeah there's more work involved but other loins just dont compare. Now, this is just my experience and hopefully not the same everywhere but maybe try looking for a whole loin and butcher it yourself.

 

[long haired hippie]

Just did a full loin over the weekend...Love it.
Injected it with beer, butter and apple juice.
Rubbed her down with a little of my magic mustard slather, then my rub...
Wrapped it up tight over night.
Then draped it in bacon for a low slow smoke with hickory and a drink of more apple juice every half hour 'til it reached 150.
Then under some foil while I had a couple of more beers.....

Maybe you forgot the beer?...bacon?

Gotta have beer & bacon :wink:

 

[Biloxidman]

Try smoking the loin in a foil "boat" and put the loin on a double layer of foil, pull all the sides up and put it on the grill. No need for any liquid cuz if will make it's own. I've always ended up with a juicy pork loin. I always pull it at 153. Give it a try.

 

[Chrome Dome]

I keep it simple and never have leftovers. I coat the loin with olive oil and then add kosher salt, course black pepper and rosemary. Put it on the Lang at 225 with the other things I'm cooking, and take it off at 155. Slice it thin.

 

[landarc]

I wouldn't do the slice thing, it will dry out, unless you cure it or brine it first. Then you could get away with finishing on the grill, but, I suspect you still will not get the flavor you are looking for. It's a cut of meat that is more subtle in pork flavor, and works best simply.

Because I enjoy that type of pork flavor, it is one of my favorite cuts to lightly smoke.