Preparing pork loin.

[jog]

I need some instructions as to how to prepare pork loin please. I've got it marinating but need to know how much smoke it will take and what kind of wood chips to use.

[lencoper]

Pork loin is actually better suited for roasting or grilling than smoking. My suggestion would be for you to sear it then finish at 200-225F (low indirect heat) until it's cooked to medium inside. I can't remember the internal temperature for this but you should be able to find it in a chart. Pull it off a bit early and let it coast to doneness under foil. This type of low temperature roasting/grilling helps to ensure you get your meat cooked to the desired doneness throughout and not burned on the outside with only a bit in the center properly done. As for the chips, go easy and use milder woods such as apple. Avoid hardcore stuff like pecan, mesquite and hickory. If you have no choice but to use them remember to go really easy.

[onlywaytofly]

I agree. Pork loin is best grilled. You can turn it on 4 sides to distribute the grill marks while the center ends up juicy light pink. It's done at a rarer state than you would expect (probably). If you want you can add wood chips. Alternatively you could try wood lump charcoal. Mesquite is believed by many to be the best for grilling on account of its bitter flavor, though some do like it for BBQ.

[jog]

Well, I tried smoking it with wood from an oak barrel that was used to age bourbon. I made chips out of it and the smell is enough to get one drooling. It has a sweetish cinnamon smell. Anyway, it worked pretty well but I didn't get as much smoke as I wanted. Maybe I should use more chips? (What I did was wrap a package of half dry and half wet chips). I smoked/cooked it for an hour with one side on medium-high and the other burner off.

[habarric]

Don't use wet chips. Your problem is too short a time and too high a temperature. Lower the heat and let the wood naturally smolder/smoke. Aim at about 2-3 hours of smoke exposure without overcooking. Be careful not to over smoke either. You'll know it when you taste it.

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