Grill-Smoked Pork Tenderloin

Transform ordinary roasted pork tenderloin into smoky, juicy succulence loaded with a variety of flavor profiles. Smoking the tenderloin low and slow for about an hour, transforms this tender cut of meat into a scrumptious star dish or a melt in your mouth sandwich.

Smoked pork tenderloin has turned into an instant family favorite, and it couldn’t be simpler !

Follow the steps below and let me know what you think.

Why should you make this Smoked Pork Tenderloin?

Smoked pork tenderloin is an excellent choice for dinner parties because it takes less time to cook than other cuts of meat. Smoking elevates the tenderloin into a star dish which can be served hot or cold: hot as a main protein dish or cold to go on a sandwich or salad.

Pork tenderloin is a very lean and small cut, with a mild flavor that appeals to most people.

Even thought it looks like a long process, it only takes 15 minutes of hands-on preparation. The rest is very passive cooking time. Thw cooking temperature doesn’t require constant attention.

Ingredient – Grocery list – Pantry list

Here is a short list of ingredients that you need to make this recipe.

Substitutions: 

You can substitute the cut of meat with other cuts (pork loin, ribs) but the cooking time will very.

Try different spice and seasoning combinations.

Special Tools to Use:

• Outdoor Grill
• Meat thermometer
• Broiler pan
• Kitchen twine

Time Required:

8-24 hours for curing in the refrigerator.

15 minutes preparing

30-60 minutes for smoking at 220°F (105°C)

How to Make – Step by Step smoked pork loin

Preparing the tenderloin dry rub

The tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat with little or no fat attached. Usually, it has long silver skin or sinew that runs across the top; it’s a connective thin membrane that holds the meat intact. Remove it from the silver skin as much as you can, to expose more surface for the rub and smoke flavor to absorb. 

Pat dry the meat with a towel. 

Combine all the dry rub ingredients and generously rub them all over the meat.

Cut 3-4 “10-inch” butcher twine strings to tie the tenderloin. Tying the tenderloin will ensure that the meat is evenly shaped and holds its round shape. 

First, tuck the tail end of the loin (the thinnest part) under so you achieve the same thickness. Tie the first string to hold the overlapped pieces together. Tie in 3 other places, but not too tight. Trim the excess ends of the twine.

Place on a wire rack and store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Ideally for 24 hours.

Preparing the wood and smoking pan

The wood needs to be soaked ahead of time. Place the wood chips in a strainer and submerge into a water bowl; the wood stays in one place and it’s easy to strain afterward.

I found that using a broiler pan for smoking is a good option. Most of the oven ranges in the USA come with one; it’s a two-piece slotted upper pan and a drip made of an enameled porcelain finish (that makes them impervious to high-heat cooking.)

I am using the drip pan for wood chips and the upper pan will be the smoker basket for holding the pork tenderloin.

Line the broiler pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup later. 

Smoking the pork tenderloin 

When ready to smoke, remove the pork tenderloin from the fridge to get to room temperature.  Preheat the grill. Strain the wood chips and place them on the foil of the broiler pan and put it on the grill to jump-start the smoke.  Put the slotted sheet on top, and place the pork on top of the slot. 

Place the whole pan on the grill and adjust the grill temperature to 220°F (105°C).

It will take 45 minutes to an hour to smoke and cook the meat.

Check the meat with the thermometer. The ideal temperature for pork is 145° F (62°C)

The Best Way to Use/How to Serve/ What to Serve with

One pork tenderloin roughly weighs 1 -2 pounds which would serve 2-4 people. The best option is to serve this as a main protein dish and vegetable sides. 

You can also use the cold pork as a cold cut with mustard, mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce and any other sauce of your choice.

Tips and wisdom

Apply the dry rub at least a day ahead; ideally for 24 hours. Dry rub penetrates into the meat, cures it and also opens the pores of the meat. This will help the smoke penetrate into the meat during the short smoking process.

Pre-soak the wood chip for at least an hour.

Fold in the end piece of the tenderloin to prevent it from drying; the uniformed meat will cook more evenly.

Always check the internal temperature. For pork tenderloin it should be 145°F (65°C).

Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before cutting. This will ensure that the juices are evenly distributed.

Make Ahead & Storage Instructions

The dry rub can be applied ahead of time (1-day before.)

You can smoke and store the pork tenderloin in the refrigerator for 7-days.

Serve cold as a cold cut.

I hope you try making this succulent and scrumptious pork tenderloin on you next grilling occasion.

More  Recipes From Cafe Osharak

If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and let me know in the comments! I love hearing feedback from our readers and would be thrilled to know that you found the recipe to be delicious and easy to make. And if you have any suggestions for variations or tweaks to the recipe, I am always open to new ideas.