BBQ-Me-Up_Scotty
New member
My wife and I don't much care for traditional pulled pork using a Boston Butt (pork shoulder) because of what we perceive as excessive fat. So I've taken to making pulled pork from the much leaner pork loin (not tenderloin). I did this yesterday for the second time, with excellent results.
It is important to inject a pork loin before putting in it the smoker so it turns out at least somewhat moist. The first time I did this I used a commercial pork injection marinade, which worked pretty well. Yesterday I injected the pork loin with melted butter, which worked even better. Other possible injections would be melted bacon grease or even lard.
Yesterday I seasoned the 2 lb. pork loin with a light coat of Killer Hogs Brisket Rub and then a somewhat heavier coat of Blue Hog Sweet & Savory rub. It went into my Auber-controlled Smokin-It Model 1 set at 250̊ with 4 oz. of cherry wood. I monitored the internal temperature of the pork loin remotely with my Thermoworks Smoke. When the loin hit 160̊ after just over 3 hours in the smoker, the bark was nicely set, so I wrapped the loin in a double layer of aluminum foil with a half-stick of butter cut lengthwise and a splash of Sweet Baby Ray's original BBQ sauce on top and continued cooking in the kitchen oven set at 320̊ with the Smoke probe inserted. It took a little more than 1 hour for the loin to hit 205̊, at which point it was probing tender throughout. At that point, I transferred the loin – still in foil – back to the smoker, which I set at 140̊, to rest until dinnertime. The loin pulled very nicely, and I added some more BBQ cut with apple cider vinegar for some additional moisture and taste.
The results were fantastic! We made sandwiches with Brioche buns. The pork was moist and very tasty, with great smoke flavor.
It is important to inject a pork loin before putting in it the smoker so it turns out at least somewhat moist. The first time I did this I used a commercial pork injection marinade, which worked pretty well. Yesterday I injected the pork loin with melted butter, which worked even better. Other possible injections would be melted bacon grease or even lard.
Yesterday I seasoned the 2 lb. pork loin with a light coat of Killer Hogs Brisket Rub and then a somewhat heavier coat of Blue Hog Sweet & Savory rub. It went into my Auber-controlled Smokin-It Model 1 set at 250̊ with 4 oz. of cherry wood. I monitored the internal temperature of the pork loin remotely with my Thermoworks Smoke. When the loin hit 160̊ after just over 3 hours in the smoker, the bark was nicely set, so I wrapped the loin in a double layer of aluminum foil with a half-stick of butter cut lengthwise and a splash of Sweet Baby Ray's original BBQ sauce on top and continued cooking in the kitchen oven set at 320̊ with the Smoke probe inserted. It took a little more than 1 hour for the loin to hit 205̊, at which point it was probing tender throughout. At that point, I transferred the loin – still in foil – back to the smoker, which I set at 140̊, to rest until dinnertime. The loin pulled very nicely, and I added some more BBQ cut with apple cider vinegar for some additional moisture and taste.
The results were fantastic! We made sandwiches with Brioche buns. The pork was moist and very tasty, with great smoke flavor.
