Pork Loin Leather

[Kampus]

Greetings meat gods,

I have been a long time reader of the forum and have gained so much from everyone here. I have been smoking in one form or another for about 4 or 5 years and have had much success....or at least I think so. I have yet to have the courage to try a large cut like a brisket, but am working toward that, at least I thought, until tonight. Most of my smoking has been smaller cuts of meat...chicken parts, smoked pit beef, pork loins, sausages, etc. Most of this has been great. But every time I try to step it up a bit, the results are not great.

Last week I smoked a pork loin roast to 205 and had some of the best pulled pork we every had. The market had these on sale buy 1 get 2 free so I picked up 3 more. I dry rubbed them last night, took them out of fridge before loading the smoker so they could come up to ambient temp, then loaded the smoker.

The single loin roast I did before took about 6 hours at 225. This time with all 3 on, I dealt with temp swings between 224 - 268 for about 3 hours until it finally settled down around 240. The 6 hour mark came and went with an internal temp around 160. For the next two hours, I only got up to 170, 2 hours later, 180 and the temp swings started again on the smoker, maxing at 270 and was settled back at 240 when I pulled the roasts off at the 10 hour mark.

They looked beautiful, but after resting and hour, they were pretty tough to pull. Still edible, great flavor, but dry...nothing like the tender delicious single I had done the week before.

I have been sitting here for the last hour thinking, researching, trying to figure out how, nothing changed but but the amount of meat and the results were so different...and the temp swinging...why?

Im sure the meat was tougher since I didn't hit my target of 203 - 205, but the temperature wasn't moving. Did I jump the gun too quick? I felt I was wayyy over the time it should have taken.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm going to lose some sleep over this....and it is really discouraging me from moving up to larger cuts.

My smoker is a Smoke Hollow vertical propane smoker. The water tray is filled with 2 fire bricks and I do not wet my wood chips and stop adding chips at 140. I also had a rack of hot sausage in for about 2 hours....if that makes any difference.

 

[fullborebbq]

With so little fat in a pork loin roast it would not be my first choice for pulled pork. My 2 cents......

 

[gmc2003]

Butts and shoulders are for pulling. Loins are for slicing. Smoke them to about 138, take off the smoker and let them rest covered. The carry over will bring them up to 145. After 10hrs at your temps they would be considered petrified loins. The only way I can see to somewhat salvage them is to chop them up into small cubes and cook them with something like Rice-a-Roni. Just add the cubed loin meat when you add the water to the rice.

Chris

 

[chilerelleno]

Chris/gmc2003
Has the right answer.

 

[JCAP]

Since the loin is really lean, I’m betting it just smoked for too long this time. Loins are best around 140-145 imo. Although I have seen pulled pork loin recipes but I’m guessing that’s like pulled chicken and not taken so high for IT.

 

[Kampus]

Thanks for all the replies. I understand the pork loin isnt the best choice for pulled pork....but my previous attempt turned out so good, so I gave it another shot.

I was more concerned why the smoking experience was so drastically different this time. I did everything the same as before, but it was 3 loins instead of 1. Would this extra mass have contributed to the temp swings and it failing to hit my target temp after so many hours? Or was it user error. I have no experience with larger cuts and am working my way up to it. I just dont ruin a more expensive chuck of meat hence all the practice on smaller things.

 

[JCAP]

I dealt with temp swings between 224 - 268 for about 3 hours until it finally settled down around 240.

I’m not one to really worry that much about temp swings. Did you make notes of when then temps got higher? For example did your chips light and then the temp climbed? I also haven’t noticed things taking longer- if I do one pork butt or 3 the timing is similar-ish but really the meat is the boss there.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Plain and Simple...Don't matter how many hours or what cut of meat. It won't Pull and have the juiciness of the melted Connective Collagen, until a Probe Slides in with no resistance. This just typically happens between an IT of 205 and 210°F.
YEP...You Jumped the Gun!
While I too like my Loin at 140, there are BBQ Guys that make a living, advertising and selling Low Fat Pulled Pork made from Loin. Granted, the more Fat and Connective Tissue, the juicier the meat will be like Butts and Chuckies. However, Any meat, cooked long enough will pull. Ex. FAT FREE RABBITS! Stick some rabbit in a Crock Pot, and in a couple hours the meat falls off the bone, just about shredding itself...JJ

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Butts and shoulders are for pulling. Loins are for slicing. Smoke them to about 138, take off the smoker and let them rest covered. The carry over will bring them up to 145. After 10hrs at your temps they would be considered petrified loins. The only way I can see to somewhat salvage them is to chop them up into small cubes and cook them with something like Rice-a-Roni. Just add the cubed loin meat when you add the water to the rice.

Chris

Chris is spot on here!