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    Home » Supper

    Smoked Pork Tenderloin

    Published: Jul 16, 2022 by Aqueena · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This recipe for Smoked Pork Tenderloin yields a juicy, flavourful and tender bite. Smoking pork tenderloin does two wonderful things; infuses flavour and cooks the meat over a gentle heat that ensures it doesn't dry out. This recipe also includes a quick and easy brine to amplify these two things further. Brining meat tenderizes, adds flavour and maintains moistness.

    Smoked Pork Tenderloin on a black slate plate with salad and corn

    Ingredients

    • Pork Tenderloin
    • Brine (Salt, Water, Apple Cider Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Pepper)
    • BBQ Rub (Homemade or your favourite blend)
    • BBQ Sauce

    Steps to Making Smoked Pork Tenderloin

    1. Brine
    2. Pat Dry, Oil and Season
    3. Smoke
    4. Add Sauce
    5. Rest and Serve
    brining pork tenderloin
    drying pork tenderloin
    seasoning pork tenderloin

    Why should I brine pork Tenderloin?

    Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat. Lean meats are more likely to dry out and brining helps avoid that! You can get away with not brining pork tenderloin but I think that once you do it once, you will see the reward of juicy meat is well worth the extra step.

    What is the difference between Brining and Marinating?

    Marinade and Brine both add flavour to the meat. Marinades however are usually thicker and are more meant solely for flavour. A marinade usually only penetrates the first few millimetres of the meat, whereas brine will penetrate the entire piece of meat.

    Brining tenderizes the meat and despite popular belief, marinating does not!

    Cooking Chart for Smoked Pork Tenderloin
    Here is the cook summary provided by my MEATER + temperature probe app (not an affiliate)
    brushing smoked pork tenderloin with bbq sauce
    resting pork tenderloin

    What is the difference between Porkloin and Pork Tenderloin?

    Pork Loin is much larger and thicker than pork tenderloin. Pork Tenderloin is the most tender cut of meat that comes from pork. As with any animal, the cuts cloest to the centre of the body are more tender from moving less. Tenderloin has a darker meat and pork loin is whiter. Pork loin has some fat on it where as tenderloin is very lean as it has no fat running through it or on it's surface.

    drawn graphic of pork cuts

    Frequently Asked Questions

    I don't have much time, What's the shortest time I can brine Pork Tenderloin?

    For it to fully penetrate the meat, you should brine the tenderloin for at least 2 hours.

    How Long Does it take to Smoke Pork Tenderloin at 225F

    With a Pellet Grill, it takes 1-1.5 hours to reach 225F (Pork tenderloins vary in weight and thickness so this affects the total cook time)

    What internal temperature is Pork Tenderloin done at?

    Pork Tenderloin should be cooked to a minimum of 145F (including a minimum 3-minute rest after it reaches that temperature)

    Where should I place the temperature probe in pork tenderloin?

    On the thicker side, insert the thermometer into the centre of the meat lengthwise.probe inserted into pork tenderloin

    What is the best wood pellets to smoke pork with?

    Cherry, Maple and Apple are my favourites. I used Apple with this recipe as it plays well with the apple cider vinegar in the brine.

    BBQ Sides for Smoked Pork Tenderloin

    • Chili Lime Southern Fried Corn
    • Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
    • Perfect Green Beans
    • Simple Sweet Corn
    • Roast Potatoes in a Slow Cooker
    • Apple Walnut Spinach Salad
    • Broccoli Bacon Mac and Cheese
    seasoned corn in a bowl with lime and chili powder in the background
    Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
    green beans on a silver platter
    4 cobs of simple sweet corn on a black slate plate
    roasted potatoes in a slow cooker
    An oval plate with apple walnut spinach salad served on it
    a fork full of broccoli bacon mac and cheese
    Smoked Pork Tenderloin on a black slate plate with salad and corn

    Smoked Pork Tenderloin

    Perfectly seasoned pork tenderloin is achieved with a simple brine, low smoking temperature and common seasonings.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 hrs
    Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Resting 10 mins
    Total Time 3 hrs 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 Servings
    Calories 267 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2-3 Pounds Pork Tenderloin 2 Pieces

    Pork Brine

    • 6 Cups Water
    • ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
    • ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons Salt
    • 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
    • 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

    Dry Rub (or 2 Tablespoons of your favourite low-sodium pork dry rub)

    • 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil or other favourite cooking oil (to rub on the meat before sprinkling on the dry rub.)
    • 1.5 Teaspoon Paprika
    • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
    • ¼ Teaspoon Cumin (optional)
    • ¼ Teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
    • ¼ Teaspoon Brown Sugar
    • ¼ Teaspoon Oregano

    Sauce

    • ¼ Cup BBQ Sauce I use Diana's Chicken and Rib Sauce

    Instructions
     

    Meat

    • Remove the meat from the packaging, If there are any loose pieces of meat you can use a sharp knife to trim them off.

    Brine

    • In a 9x13" casserole dish; mix all of the ingredients together. Place the two pork tenderloin pieces in the dish. Cover with saran wrap or a lid. Place in the fridge for 2-12 hours.

    Season

    • Remove the pork from the brining liquid. Discard the brining liquid.
      Use a paper towel to dry the meat off.
    • Evenly distibute the cooking oil onto both pieces of meat.
    • Mix your dry rub ingredients together and then sprinkle it so that it evenly coats all sides of both pieces of tenderloin

    Smoke

    • Preheat Pellet Grill to 225°F
    • Insert a temperature probe into the thicker end of your larger of the two pork loins.
    • Place pork tenderloins directly onto the grill and smoke for roughly 1 hour, or until an internal temperature of 130°F is met.
    • Brush BBQ sauce on all sides of both pork tenderloins and increase the temperature of your pellet grill to 400°F
    • Cook until the internal temperature reads 145°F

    Rest

    • Remove the pork tenderloins from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
    • Slice each pork tenderloin into pieces ¾" thick. Serve and Enjoy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 32gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 2641mgPotassium: 674mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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