advice suggestions on first tenderloin

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eichhoma

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 30, 2010
61
11
St. Louis, MO
So, I got a good deal on a fresh tenderloin from the store. Thing is it is pretty big. slightly over 10 pounds. I have smoked a few briskets and pork butts/shoulders in my 16" Horizon, but have never done a big tenderloin. Never done a tenderloin period. I dont see any sticky's for basic tenderloin smokes. I want to smoke this but would like some suggestions on method, rub, time, temp's etc. Never done one and dont want it to come out all dry. So, any tips/suggestions of how to do this would be great! thanks in advance!
 
i smokd a pork loin a couple months ago but it was not as big as the one you have. This is what I did.

Marinate over night or at least 4 hrs. First thing is take an ice pick or a knife and make holes or slits in the loin. I find the marinade and rub penetrates the meat better this way. Just my opinion.

1/4 c soy sauce (i used Dales marinade). If you use Dales, it is pretty high in sodium, so you may want to cut back on the salt in the rub.
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dr pepper or coke
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (if no white pepper, use 1 tsp black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

I rubbed the loin w/yellow mustard and applied a thin coat of rub to the entire loin. Let sit for 30 min then re-applied a thin coat of rub.

I smoked the loin at 250* until the internal temp reached 155*. I pulled and tented in foil for 20 minutes. It came out very moist and tender and had a great flavor. The temp will continue to rise another 5-10*.

As for as time, i think it took about 1.5-1.75 hrs for the internal temp to reach 165. You can't really base it on time, so go with the internal temp.

Hope this helps.
 
Now for me, its pretty basic. Brine in a basic salt water brine.
Get a skillet smoking hot with some fat and sear the outside of the loin, and sear to a golden brown. While doing this start your covered grill and soak just a couple hand full of chips in water. Using indirect method add the chips to the hot side and place the loin on the indirect side. Make sure the tip end is folded under to make as much of a uniform thickness as possible. Let this go until an internal temp of 135-140 is reached at the largest section, pull and cover. Cut in medallions and serve with perhaps a chipotle cream sauce, with a grilled scallion on the side, asparagus and a simple baked potato with garlic butter. Never overcook a loin, and stay away from all the stupid recommended minimum internal temps, they are CYA and will yield a dry chunk of flavorless white meat. Keep all the rubs sauces etc simple, too many kitchen sink recipes on here these days.
 
About the only thing I can agree with Rod on is to keep the rub and sauce simple. I'm going to be doing my first tenderloin in a couple of weeks and checking out the tips, etc.

Pork should be brought to an internal temp of 160. When done right, the meat will be plenty moist and tasty. Oh, and safe to eat.

Recommended internal temps are not stupid. They do not result in dry, flavorless meat, unless the cook has done something wrong in preparation.

There is quite a variety of recipes on this site, that's true. I've posted one or two myself. That's one of the best things about this site.

Just my two cents...
 
Here is my next question.... I am going to do this for a party we are having next Sunday. But I will need to cook/smoke this on Saturday in the interest of time. Any suggestions on how to handle this once it is done cooking saturday and then how to reheat it on Sunday and it not be all dried out? thanks!
 
you will be fine to smoke the day before, I always smoke and slice like normal then into the fridge. then warm up in the crock pot the next day, add a little water to prevent it from drying out. I also like to shake on a little rub while it's reheating.
 
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