Making my Smoking Debut today, but need some help.

[dtsdowntosmoke]

Let me begin by admitting up front that I know absolutely nothing about smoking meat (or any other type of cooking for that matter). 

I purchased a 30" Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse about a month ago, but am making my debut today.

I know that I'm doing this wrong, but there is so much information out there on the internet and in a book that I bought I feel like every thing conflicts. I have no idea what is right and what is wrong.

Here is what I did:

I bought 2 packs of Pork Tenderloin yesterday (2 pieces each, which I didn't know) and some of that Grillin Mates Pork Rub. I immediately came home and rubbed the tenderloins down with olive oil and put the rub on all of them. Then I put them in a ziploc bag and in the fridge overnight. 

So this is when I started reading tons of articles online and everyone's opinion on how it should be done and I got worried. I read online that putting rub on the tenderloin the night before may dry the meat out. Is that correct?

So last night I bought Jeff's rub and bbq sauce recipe and wanted to use it. This morning, I took the 4 tenderloins and left 2 alone (just left the Grillin Mates Rub on them). The other two I took out of the bag and rinsed them off in the sink as best as possible so that I could use Jeff's rub.

I put Jeff's Rub on one of them and left it alone. The second tenderloin that I rinsed off I weaved some bacon together and then put Jeff's rub on it and wrapped the loin. 

I set the smoker on 250 and put the loins in. I went for a little run and came back 63 minutes later. At that time the temperature in the center of the loins were reading 185*! They had only been in the smoker a total of about 95 minutes, but I didn't know what to do. I decided to take them out and wrap them in foil. That was about 25 minutes ago.

I don't guess that theres much that I can do now, but I'm just looking for advice.

Where did I go wrong? Should I have set it on 220*? I thought that it was only supposed to get to about 160* in the center.

Thanks in advance for all your help. I apologize for being so clueless.

Ben

 

[solaryellow]

Don't be so hard on yourself Ben. We all started somewhere and usually with results that most of us would not be proud of today. :biggrin:

One thing you can do to help yourself is to sign up for Jeff's free 5 day course. He does a great job of getting you started.

 

[dtsdowntosmoke]

Thanks Solar! I actually did that last night!

 

[johnnie walker]

Ben, welcome to SMF.

Since the IT was already at 185* when you foiled it, I would go ahead and take the IT to 200*. That baby will be good and tender then.

I do them on the grill now and then and sear the outside then foil them and take them to 200* IT. They come out juicy and tender and you can cut it with a fork.
 

 

[ldrus]

You need to get a digital thermo calibrate it( glass full of crushed ice then fill with water,insert prob thermo should read 32deg. Or really close to it. Use this thermo to tell u what your smoker temp is .the controller on the mes isn't very accurate.Maverick gauges are very good and a little pricey. I have a few of those. Taylor is another good one . Also have had good luck with the cheaper ones that Meijers sell.

 

[mdboatbum]

Welcome to the forum. And most importantly, No worries! They're liable to be a little dry, but that's not the end of the world. I'd slice them super thin and sauce them with that sauce you made, then serve on a roll with some coleslaw on top. It'll be some serious good grub.

In the future, I'd do a couple things. First, check that the set temp of your smoker is somewhat to close to the actual temp in your smoker. My guess is that it isn't, and you'll have to do some adjusting to get the temp you want. IE: if you discover it's running 30˚ higher than the set temp, adjust accordingly.

Secondly, pork tenderloin is NOTORIOUSLY fast to cook and dry out. Even low and slow, keep a close eye on it and don't take it past 140˚. There is zero fat or connective tissue, so there is not a lot of room for error.

Leaving your rub on for many hours or even days won't really ruin anything, but may partially "cure" your meat, leading to a flavor and texture reminiscent of Canadian Bacon. It can also lead to it being saltier than you want.

The most important thing I can recommend is to keep trying. It's a lot of fun and you and your family will love the failures almost as much as the triumphs. Keep participating here as well. There are a lot of good people and a wealth of info. And by actively participating, you can share your ideas and enrich the forum for all of us.

Good luck on the next one!

 

[dtsdowntosmoke]

Thanks everyone. As it turns out, it was still pretty good.

What we found was that without exception, every one who ate today much preferred Jeff's rub to the Grill Mates version. The BBQ sauce was also right on point and much preferred above store bought sauce.

I thought that the meat was a little tough and slightly dried, but no one complained.

Looking forward to tackling some wings on Tuesday for New Years.

 

[JckDanls 07]

DTS.. first of all.. welcome to your new addiction... my suggestion would be to brine your tenderloin (all pork for that matter) first... 12-24 hrs is plenty... then no worries about drying out even at a little higher IT... I put mine in the brine somewhere after noon for an overnight swim... then somewhere before noon the next day take them out and rinse well... then do the EVOO and rub and let sit for a couple hrs in fridge before cooking.... IT of 150` works for me...

 

[chef jimmyj]

" [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Secondly, pork tenderloin is NOTORIOUSLY fast to cook and dry out. Even low and slow, keep a close eye on it and don't take it past 140˚. There is zero fat or connective tissue, so there is not a lot of room for error. "[/color]

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]This statement from Bum is the most important thing to remember about Pork Tenderloins. At their thickest the PTL's are at most 3" thick and considering the final Internal Temp (IT) is low they are pretty much one of the fastest cooks. This is a good thing when you a running late and need a quick meal. Pick your meat, do a search on our site and read up. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Good luck on your next Smoke...JJ[/color]

 

[ellymae]

A few things...

1) Welcome to the party. 

2) Don't be so hard on yourself - as you found out, what you cooked was still good. 

3) Don't over think this or make yourself crazy - it's BBQ, not rocket surgery... 

4) Start off with something more forgiving like a pork butt or shoulder. 

5) Calibrate your thermos. 

6) Read, read, read, and ask questions - this is a great source of information. 

7) Cook things you and your family like. 

8) Have fun - that's what it's really all about. 

Enjoy!