Can Pork Loin Be Used For Your Pulled Pork Recipe?

by J. Childress
(Sherman, Il., USA)

I have a BBQ coming up and am planning on doing smoked pork loin for BBQ. I've done picnic roast and it was good. Is cooking time for an 8-10 lb pork loin still 60-90 mins a pound? I'll be using charcoal and mesquite wood chunks in the smoker.

Answer:-

Wow, I really envy you trying this one. To do a smoked pork loin is really easy but it won't take as much time as a pork butt.

Don't however expect the results to be exactly the same either. The pork butt is the front leg of the pig and therefore is a much more muscular piece of meat than loin which comes from the back of the pig. You will find that the loin is more fatty and it may be necessary to take some of that fat off prior to smoking.

To answer your question specifically about substitution then I would say no because the end results are going to be different from the perspective of texture. When you are doing a smoked pork loin you're not looking for the fall off the bone texture that you do with the pork butt, ready to be shredded, it's more about producing a smoke flavoured meat that's ripe and juicy for slicing.

To that end, the smoking time is going to be shorter albeit still dependent on the size of your loin. Use a temperature probe and look for an internal meat temperature of 155°F (68°C) whilst smoking the meat at 225°F (110°C).

Certainly the rub that I've used on my pulled pork will add just as much flavour to your barbecue cookout or alternatively try this one:

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Or you can try this smoked pork loin recipe that majors in with an apple brandy glaze.

I only wish that I was there to try it when you lift the lid!

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Can Pork Loin Be Used For Your Pulled Pork Recipe?