PREPARATION: 

Prepare the Brine:

In a saucepan, combine whiskey, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, mustard, orange slices or zest, cloves, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil then lower to simmer, stir frequently until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour into a marination container and stir in cold apple cider. Add pork loin, and refrigerate 3-4 hours.

Prepare the Pork:

Score the pork on both sides in 1-inch diagonals then rotate the roast 90 degrees and score again to make a crosshatch pattern.

Prepare the Rub:

On a sheet of parchment butcher’s paper mix seasoning rub ingredients; brown sugar, kosher salt, garlic, paprika, onion powder, ginger, and red pepper. Using a pastry brush, spread the spice mix out, about the size of the pork loin. Roll pork loin in spice mix. Cover the pork loin with the paper and press firmly to seal in the spices. Set aside until the lump charcoal and wood chunks are smoking! Place the seasoned pork loin on a V-rack.

Prepare the Grill:

Fill your smoker or ceramic grill with Cowboy® Lump Charcoal, and light. After 5-7 minutes add a few Cowboy® Hickory Wood Chunks at each end of the charcoal bed. Adjust the grill two-zone cooking; one side for indirect cooking and the opposite side for direct cooking. Adjust vents to give a steady 275°F to 300°F degrees.

Smoke the Pork Loin:

Over indirect heat, smoke the pork loin in the V-rack with drip pan. Close the lid and smoke for an hour. If using a probe, remove the partially cooked pork loin from the grill when it reaches 135° to 140°F. Open the grill vents, and increase the grill temperature to 450°F.

Glaze the Pork Loin:

Meanwhile, while the grill’s cooking temperature increases, combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Over direct heat, return the pork loin to the grill, frequently brushing with glaze, and rotating it as needed to prevent burning. Cook pork loin until lightly charred and the internal temperature reaches 143° to 145°F degrees.

Rest and Serve Hickory Smoked Pork Loin

Remove the smoked pork loin from the grill, and tent with foil. Allow the roast to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then slice against the grain and serve. Serve on a bed of Smoky Parmesan Egg Noodles! Serves 6

Chef’s Notes:

Don’t be afraid of slightly pink pork. You have probably noticed that smoked meats often take on a pink tinge! As long as your pork is cooked to at least 140°F then rests and achieves 145°F at slicing, you will be fine.

Pork Loin gets a bad name because many times it is over cooked. When I was young the “authorities” would claim pork was safe to eat only after it reached 165°F. Poor poor pork that temp makes it dry and bland!

Cowboy Brand Cherry, Maple or Pecan are great substitutes for Hickory Smoking Wood Chunks or Chips. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests keeping cooked pork for up to four days in the refrigerator. Quickly place leftover pork into a storage container the moment you can. Please don’t leave cooked pork on the counter for more than one hour or until after dessert.