One Pork Loin, Three Smokes
My future son-in-law showed up last week with a full loin and asked me if I would smoke it for him. Naturally, I said I’d be glad to. He wanted it cut into thirds and each piece smoked with a different wood. And he requested that I give all pieces a very heavy smoke as he planned to use the meat as ingredients in other dishes he planned to cook. He also asked me to leave the fat cap on the loin for extra flavor. Had it been for Miss Linda and me, I would have trimmed most of the fat off (we don’t eat any fat). It was a pretty thick fat cap, but what the heck—it was his loin.
So, to work. I rubbed each piece with my go to pork rub, wrapped each in plastic wrap, and left them in the fridge overnight. Early the next morning, I put the meat in front of a fan for 2 ½ hours to develop a pellicle.
The morning had dawned quite “brisk” (read: cold!!). Naturally, I had forgotten to bring my sand filled water dish inside to warm up overnight so, while the MES 30 was warming up, I put it in a 400 degree oven for half an hour—worked like a charm.
I filled the two outside rows of my AMNPS with Jack Daniels pellets and fired up both ends to give him that heavy smoke he had requested.
When the MES was up to 240 and the pellets were smoking away nicely, the first loin piece went in to cook. I pulled the loin when the IT reached 140, brought it into the kitchen, and let the carryover bring it up to 145 degrees. After cooling, the loin went into the fridge, covered, to let the flavors mellow out.
The next day it was Loin #2’s turn in the MES. Same procedure as with the first loin, except for the choice of pellets. My S.I.L had said he’d like one done with Mesquite. Since I’ve yet to hear anybody recommend smoking pork with Mesquite, I was just a bit leery about this one—especially so as he had asked for a heavy smoke on each piece. Well, it was his loin so Mesquite it would be. I did, however, decide to err on the side of caution. I filled and lit one outside row of the AMNPS with Mesquite, but the other outside row I filled with Pecan and lit. I figured that with a blend of Mesquite and the mellower Pecan I could give him a heavy smoke and still, hopefully, not ruin the meat with too much of the overpowering smoke from the Mesquite.
Again, I pulled the loin out of the MES at an IT of 140 and let the carry over bring it up to 146 degrees. It too then went into the fridge to mellow.
Day 3 dawned and it was time for the last piece of loin. This time I decided to use two rows of Hickory—my personal favorite. In order to give him the heavy smoke he wanted, I put the meat in the MES and the AMNPS in the mailbox when the MES temp reached 100 degrees on its climb to 240. A loin doesn’t take all that long to cook and this would give it more smoke time.
Again, I took the meat to 140 IT and let it rise to 145 as it rested. Then the last piece joined the other two in the fridge.
Day 4. I took all three pieces out of the fridge. The first two I cut in half, vac/sealed and froze. The third piece (hickory smoked) I sliced nice and thick. He had asked the night before for some sliced meat for sammies. I then vac/sealed and froze the two packages of slices.
Now you gotta know that I had removed a slice off each piece, as it came off the MES, to test. A quality control thing. You understand, don’t you?? Of course you do.
The loin smoked with Jack Daniels was delicious. A very mild and pleasant smoke flavor. The piece smoked for an extended time with Hickory was great—very smoky. Almost too smoky But what really surprised me was the piece smoked with Mesquite and Pecan. I really wasn’t expecting much from this piece. My best hope was simply not to ruin it. But……..it was downright fantastic!!!!! My absolute favorite of the three smokes. I’ll be doing that again. Just not when Miss Linda is home. She wasn’t impressed with it at all.
Since I’ll be delivering all the meat to my SIL in a couple of days, there aren’t any plated pictures—just couldn’t figure out how to get around this unfortunate situation. I have no concerns what so ever that he’ll be very happy with ALL the smokes. I know I am.
Two pieces ready to go in the fridge, awaiting their turn in the MES:
Well, it was getting close to supper--had to cut & roll myself a small piece:
Drying off in front of the fan:
His and mine with Jack Daniels pellets:
Mesquite/Pecan smoked--the whole piece and later cut in half:
Last piece--Hickory Smoked:
Thanks for looking.
Gary
