Smoked Pork Loin with a Cherry Maple Glaze

[bakerboy]

So,

Going off of the other thread about brining, it got me curious about smoking a pork loin as I've pretty much smoked everything else but a loin!!


Went to the store and got a 4lb'er, I brined it for about 5 hours with salt, sugar, garlic, old bay, black pepper and ginger:







Pulled it out of the brine after 5 hours and trimmed it a bit and started on the glaze, maple syrup, cherry juice, apple juice, mustard and apple cider vinegar:










Brushed it on the loin and then sprinkled with dry spices: garlic powder, old bay, black pepper and ginger:





Then, off to the smoker!! Had it in there for about 3 hours using mesquite lump charcoal for the heat and pieces of cherry wood for flavor, basting it with glaze about once every hour:









All said and done!!!








For the sides, I did some garlic sauteed asparagus and some boxed potatoes au gratin (not pictured):

 

[NeedMoreSun]

Nice!!! My wife somehow ends up bringing me a loin on a regular basis. She brings one home because "it was on sale", then asks for pulled pork. NOT the same, but I make it up and fight with it to get it shredded. Such a waste. I'll have to try this next time. Looks yummy, but if she doesn't like it maybe she'll remember what to get next time

Well, she may finally have it figured out, two times in a row now she brought home a boston butt and I'm supposed to be working on one of them right now, lol.

 

[northrn]

oh my....that looks scrumptious!

 

[pooldv]

Mmmmm, meat! :chef:

 

[borjis]

How long to smoke? And at what temp?

And what is the main liquid component of that brine?


I got a loin in the freezer and now I know what to do with it!

 

[bakerboy]

It was in the smoker for about 3 hours on the indirect heat side (pictured) then after 3 hours I placed it directly over the hot coals for about 5 minutes each side to get a nice char!!!

Temp, Im not exactly sure because I don't have a temp thermometer for the BBQ itself, but from past experience (using my char-grill duo w/ BBQ temp), I would say it was around 200f-210f

The main liquid for the brine is water.......I took about 6 cups of water and got it up to boiling on the stove and put about a 1/2 cup of salt and a 1/2 cup of sugar in the boiling water and let them both dissolve. Then once they dissolved I threw in a bunch of ice cubes to lower the water temp ASAP.......then I placed the loin in that foil pan and dumped the salt/sugar water in there too....added some fresh garlic, garlic powder, black pepper, old bay and ginger. Placed the entire thing into the fridge for 5 hours.

 

[borjis]

Yum! Thanks!