New WSM..first time..pork loin questions


 
jaystraw

jaystraw

TVWBB Member
Hi everyone. I'm a "n00b" as the kids say on the internet. I just got my first smoker, a WSM on Christmas. I picked up a 4 pound pork loin becasue it was cheap, and I wanted something cheap to experiment on for my first smoke. Thank god no more crock pot tendeloin pulled pork.

I'm not finding a lot of information about pork loin smoking. I trimmed the fat and dry rubbed the meat and it's ready to go for the Pats game tonight. I've got apple or mesquite chips, and hickory chunks.

I'm using Royal Oaks charcoal. Any tips on the length of time to cook the loin and what kind of wood to use would be much appreciated. I'm in New Hampshire, and it's pretty grey and cold outside. Probably around 30 degrees at cooking time, and possibly raining too.

Thank you!!
 
Hi,
And welcome to the board. Others might dissagree but I woudn't use a pork loin as my first cook on the WSM. Since it doesn't have very much internal fat or connective tissue, it won't really benefit from a low and slow cook.

But if you really want to,check out this section in the "Cooking Topics" of this board.
LOIN It has a very good explanation of how to cook a loin.

You might want to consider doing some ribs or chicken for your first cook.

GO PATS

Al
 
Jay,
Welcome to the board. My favorite woods to use for pork are apple and maple, but any fruit wood or hardwood would work. I usually keep away from the store bought mesquite and hickory as those can be too strong for my liking. If you're going to fire up the WSM, why not throw on some leg quarters and maybe some sausage. Leg quarters are my favorite chicken pieces to smoke as they always come out nice and juicy.
BTW, where are you in NH? I could always come over and help you eat the results of your first smoke.....
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Andy
 
I don't think you can go wrong by having your first cooks being ribs. I actually prefer baby backs but to be honest ribs I feel are the perfect break me in cook. I feel they are very forgiving and I don't think I have never met a rib I didn't like.
 
A guy I work with talks about pulled pork from a crock pot and using a loin. He says it's great. Unfortunately, I don't think you can replicate that in the WSM. I'm not the most educated person on the subject, but I think the loin is too lean to get those results from a WSM. In the crock pot, I think you're doing something like braising the meat. At any rate, you're leaving it in its own juices and cooking it for a long time. In the WSM, that would dry out a loin to something past shoe leather.

If you want to try the loin I think a similar approach would be to use an aluminum pan and wrap it tight with foil so that you would have a sealed chamber for the cooking. The WSM can provide long steady heat and the pan can provide the crock pot like conditions. Otherwise, you'll have to look at the link Al provided and cook it more like a roast.

Look in the cooking section of this site for the pork recipe called "The Renowned Mr. Brown". Using a pork butt and a long low and slow cook will get you what we on this board call pulled pork.

As far as your cook goes, I hope you have a shelter. The cold and gray is not a problem but rain and especially wind will make for a tough cook. It's hard to keep temps stable with wind and rain going on - not impossible, but I wouldn't wish it upon you for a first cook. If you don't have some type of shelter and wind break, get ready to babysit the smoker.

Good luck.
 
Thanks so much for the advice!!

I'm just west of Concord in Henniker NH. I've done lots of low cooking in the oven and gas BBQ, but I've been waiting years to have my first real smoke experience. I was looking at the chicken quarters recipe from Dr.Wiviott and thinking of going that route. But, I already have the pork loin all set to go.

I've done the pork tenderloin in the crock pot a bunch of times, and it comes out pretty good. I'm happy to be done with it and go for the real deal soon.

Now I'm thinking of running to Shaws to get some chicken too. My wife and I are gonna have a lot of food!
 
Go very easy on the mesquite if you decide to use it, poultry is like a sponge when it comes to sucking up smoke and mesquite can make it taste real bad if overdone.

As mentioned above, loin doesn't have a lot of fat in it and doesn't really benefit from cooking slow and low, pull it when it hits 145-150 internally then foil it and let it rest, if you attempt to cook it to higher temps in hopes it will fall apart like a pork butt you'll end up with a piece of shoe leather instead.
 
Now I'm thinking of running to Shaws to get some chicken too. My wife and I are gonna have a lot of food!
Click to expand...
That's not necessarily a bad thing, I will most always smoke way too much food for one meal. The leftovers get sealed in foodsaver bags and end up in the freezer. Nothing like having a freezer full of smoked goodies for when you just gotta have a snack!


GO PATS!!
 
should I use water in the pan or just foil line it? I do not have any sand for today.

It's warmed up to the 40's and stopped snowing for today. No real wind either.

thanks again for the tips!
 
Go ahead and smoke the pork loin. It will probably only take about 4 hours. I use water in the pan but others prefer sand or foil. Like most things associated with "cue" it's a matter of personal preference. That's the nice thing about this board. You get plenty of information and various opinions and most folks here don't claim that theirs is the only way.

Good Luck.
 
smoking sounds a lot like fishing. A lot of things will work ,and everyone has a little different method and advice. Hopefully I'll be a great angler AND smoker by the time I'm 70...I'm 36 now.

It's on! I got the fire going no problem with the chimney starter. I smell pretty smokey, but I'm cool with that. :)
 
Things seem to be going well. Fire is still going well and I've resisted the urge to open the top to peek. I used a flashling and peeked through the open vent on top. The loin looks nice as far as I could tell.

The temp gauge I'm using says it's burning hot(300-325), but the gauge may not be the most reliable.

OK, got it off after 2 hours 20 min. at 150 internal temp. It's in foil and ready for the Patriots to go undefeated. Thanks for the help everyone!!
 
Just to finish this thread off, we ate and it was wonderful. Smokey tasting white meat with a really visible pink smoke ring around the outside. we used a maple chipolte glaze and had a garden salad and homemade skillet cornbeard.

Tomorrow, we go for chicken! thanks again, and I love my WSM!
 
I know I am a little late to the thread but I have had great results from pork loin. The key I found to avoiding dryness is to inject apple juice into the pork loin until it plumps up. I also used part of the recipe from the cooking topics that Chris has for the board titled pork loin rib roast for time and temps. I was suprised how simple and easy it was to do. One lady who didn't even really like pork had three helpings of the pork loin.
 
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