YOU Keep your smoked pork loin moist and tender with our easy grilling guide. From foil wrappers to water containers, find out how to get rid of dry pork today.
Pork is one of the easiest cuts of meat to smoke, thanks to its rich connective tissue, fat content, and marbling. However, the long cooking time means your BBQ smoked Boston Butt has plenty of opportunity to dry.
Discover the best way to prevent pork from drying out with our easy guide to smoking at the grill. From simple kitchen tricks to injection marinade recipes, learn how to keep pork moist and tender here.
Why is my incense trail dry?
Pork becomes dry for a number of reasons. The most common reason is cooking time and temperature. This hearty cut of meat will dry out if the pork tenderloin is cooked too long or at too high a temperature.
Patient, low and slow cooking is the key to achieving the perfect platter. When cooked for the right amount of time, all those delicious juices start flowing. Another reason for pork to dry out is that it is cooked at too high a temperature. Excessive heat dries out the meat and evaporates the juice needed to keep the pork tender.
Finally, if you forget to wrap your pork tenderloin halfway through cooking, it can become prone to dehydration. Tightly wrapping in aluminum foil or butcher paper can create a steam chamber that allows the pork to cook in its own juices without exposure to dry heat.
So, dry pork will stop you
The key to keeping smoked pork loin from drying out is to take steps to retain or add moisture at every opportunity. Adding moisture during the cooking process can be done in several ways:
- Picking pork loin with rich marbling
- Use a dry brine with salt to retain moisture
- Prepare the pork with an injection marinade
- Pour a sprinkle over the meat
- Wrap the pork in aluminum foil.
- Place a pot of water under the pork tenderloin
- Give the meat enough time to rest
Let’s take a look at each of these steps and how they can help you prepare the best smoked pork loin at your next cook-off.
Use heavily marbled pork
Pork tenderloin with rich marbling cooks better and is more tender. Sure, high fat has a bad reputation for health issues, but pork needs marbled fat to make it a little tastier. Cooking at low temperatures for several hours breaks down the fat and marinates the meat from the inside out. Good marbling penetrates it as it cooks, creating an even melting pattern throughout the meat’s grain.
Use an injection marinade
The shots add moisture to aid in tenderness and flavor. Pork is a versatile meat that can be used in a sweet or savory marinade with great flavor results.
Trust your taste buds to make a decision. There are sweet and savory recipes that mix fruit juices and savory sauces together if you’re on the fence. Or YOU can’t go wrong with this easy, contest-style recipe.
Pulled Pork Prescription Injection:
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup of water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon soy pasture
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire willow
Cook to the right internal temperature
Inside temperatures may vary slightly. The correct core temperature for pork tenderloin is at least 195°F, but should reach 205°F. It is considered perfection as it becomes even more tender and shreds effortlessly.
Tender and juicy is the goal when cooking this palette. Have an accurate meat thermometer that you can trust. Pork tenderloin is always cooked at around 175°F . It takes time for the post to go, but eventually it will.
Use a bowl of water
Using a water pan with your smoker can create a natural steam bath for your smoker. Efficient constant moisture is created while the pork loin is being smoked.
However, if you find that the temperature inside the smoker is starting to fluctuate, it’s best to discard the pan of water from your process. Uneven temperatures can cause problems with the final texture of the meat. In this case, rely solely on the slide.
Foil packaging
Durable aluminum foil is all you need to wrap the pork fillet. A thinner film can easily tear and defeat the purpose of the film. As a rule of thumb, you wrap the pork tenderloin after about ¾ of the cooking time.
This gave the crust time to set, and now the foil can fill in the rest and seal in all the much-needed moisture. Basting the pork tenderloin before wrapping will only help with steaming. Place the fat side up and wrap the foil tightly. Rendering also helps with flavor and moisture.
Smoke at the right temperature
The right temperature in the smoker is just as important as the functional perfect internal temperature. Overheating the meat will dry out the pork tenderloin faster than you can imagine. Direct flames are never recommended for pork loin.
Set smoker to 220-250°F. This ensures slow cooking. It is recommended to add 40 minutes of cooking time per pound of meat.
Leave the meat to rest
Resting pork tenderloin can be just as important as preparing it. Rest is a form of magic of its own. This allows the meat to distribute the juices in the right places, resulting in a superb cut of meat.
The resting process prevents dying pork loin from drying out. It is necessary to put the pork in a towel and then in a cooler for several hours to retain this moisture. Cutting too early results in a large loss of juice and dries out the pork loin.
How to mostly dry pulled pork
If cooked and left to stand properly, pork tenderloin will mince perfectly. So now you can shred evenly and add your favorite barbecue sauce. Before serving, be sure to collect any fatty juices, strain, and refrigerate in case you need them to reheat or add moisture to the pulled pork.
Reheating pulled pork can be difficult, especially when it’s drying out. The only way to rehydrate the leftover pulled pork is to add liquid. Add a juice, like apple or pineapple, mixed in with a few drops and barbecue sauce and heat up some of the leftover goodness.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
