Whole pork loins can be found in almost every grocery store. It’s a fairly inexpensive cut of meat to marinate, rub, and cook low and slow in a smoker. And for large groups, it’s a perfect, easy-to-serve dish…one that’s different and will have your searches congratulating you all night.

The whole pork loin sits on both sides of the pig’s backbone. It’s typically about 30″ long and can be broken up into different “roasts.” You’ll see these are known as a “top loin roast” or “middle loin roast.” This is a smaller, more manageable piece of meat.

I prefer to buy the whole pork tenderloin from stores like Costco or Sam’s and cut it up myself. It’s pretty easy and with a sharp knife you can do it yourself in no time.

You’ll want to take the meat out of the packaging first and give it a quick rinse. Next, cut off the silver skin (the thin “silver-colored” skin), as well as any excess fat that may be adhering. After a few minutes of trimming, you should be left with a clean piece of lean meat.

It is not necessary to remove all of the fat, but large deposits should be removed. Smaller bits of fat will melt during cooking and keep the meat moist. At this point, you can divide the set into smaller sections or leave it whole. It depends on the size of your smoker and how many people you want to serve.

The tenderloin can be used for a number of things: It can be cured into Canadian Style Bacon, cut into Loin Chops, cut into Country Style Ribs, or Smoked Whole. But with this recipe we are going to smoke it whole. This is a perfect recipe for a backyard barbecue or large party.

To smoke it whole you will need a few things:

• Smoker for indirect cooking
• Firewood and Coal as fuel
• “The BBQ Rub” by Killer Hogs.
• Pickling
• Meat thermometer

Pork tenderloin by itself doesn’t have much flavor, but the good thing is that you can infuse it with any flavor you like. I make this by marinating everything overnight.

The marinade is made up of:

• 1 cup of apple juice
• 1 cup of pineapple juice
• Cup of Olive Oil
• Cup of Red Wine Vinegar with Garlic
• cup of Dijon Mustard
• cup of maple syrup
• cup of molasses
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Fresh thyme, parsley and oregano (a few sprigs of each chopped together)

Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large pot and heat gently. It doesn’t need to boil; just heat it enough to combine the flavors

Cool the marinade and place the Whole away in a large bowl. I use a 3 gallon Zip Lock bag, but any container large enough for the task will work.

Pour marinade over bundle and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. More flavor will enter the meat the longer you let it sit in the marinade.

When you’re ready to cook the tenderloin, remove it from the marinade. Allow excess marinade to drip off before applying the next step.

Now it’s time to season the Whole Far.

I use The BBQ Rub. because it has the perfect amount of sweetness, flavor and heat… but you can use any seasoning you prefer.

First you start with a layer of Dijon mustard all over the tenderloin and then you sprinkle it with The BBQ Rub.

Allow the entire tenderloin to rest while the smoker reaches the proper smoking temperature. The smoker should be at 225 degrees with light smoke. For wood I use cherry. The cherry smoke adds a nice smooth flavor to the tenderloin and won’t overload it with a harsh flavor.

Once the smoker is up to temperature, place the tenderloin on the grill and enjoy a cold drink. The hard work is done and now it’s time to let the smoker do its job.

Hold 225 degrees and in 2 hours check and see what the internal temperature reading is. The target temperature is 145 degrees and it will take approximately 3-4 hours to reach this temperature.

If you overcook it, the meat will be very dry, which is why I start checking the internal temperature at 2 hours…and then continue to check every 20 – 30 minutes until I reach an internal temperature of about 135 – 140 Once it reaches this internal temperature, it’s time to start glazing the pork tenderloin.

For my pork tenderloin glaze, I like to mix pineapple juice and 50:50 barbecue sauce and brush the outside of my tenderloin. Also, you can add apple jam, preserves, honey, or anything sweet to the outside of your tenderloin at this time. Adding a sweet glaze at the end will complement the flavor of the pork and prevent it from burning.

Keep a close eye on the polish because it will darken pretty quickly. It is important not to have the heat set too high when icing. Caramelized sugars can go from rich, sweet flavor to dark bitter in minutes.

I like to let the glaze sit on the pork tenderloin and “bake” for about 30 minutes.

When the tenderloin reaches the desired internal temperature, 145° internal, remove it from the smoker, cover the tenderloin with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Removing it from the smoker at 145 and letting it rest will allow the natural juices to redistribute throughout the meat. This is an important step and should not be skipped. Don’t worry about your pork tenderloin going “cold” because after the resting period it will still be very hot…but it won’t lose all the juices like it would if you cut it right away.

Once it has rested, it is time to cut it into portions to serve and enjoy.

Serving suggestions are to simply cut the tenderloin into medallions (about 1-1.5 inches thick) and air them out on a plate, adding a bowl of 50:50 BBQ sauce and pineapple juice on the side for dipping.

Or you can place your medallions on slider buns and serve with a side of spicy mustard or Dijon.