Need pork tenderloin advice

[SmknSpud]

I'm fairly new to smoking having seasoned my #1 and doing a successful first smoke of pork ribs. I'm planning on smoking a couple of pork tenderloins this weekend for my father-in-law's birthday, and I need some advice.

Here are the things I know at this point:

• I plan to finish the tenderloins with a raspberry chipotle glaze
• Based on my father-in-law's taste preferences, I do not want to use a "traditional" pork bbq dry rub
  
  

My questions:

• Suggestions on rubs (or rub recipes) that should work with the glaze?
• Should I brine (if so, should I go with the Lazy-Q brine for pork loin or a different one)?
• Other thoughts or ideas anyone would like to share to help prevent me from having to place a last minute pizza order this weekend?

 

[old sarge]

First off, welcome to the forum.

I have a very basic rub, nothing fancy that I use on pork as well as beef.  Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar. It just seems to work well for the family. Lamb gets the rosemary treatment and no brown sugar. We typically forgo glazes and substitute a sauce when serving. Sorry I cannot be of any. more help.  Also, I do not brine. Just my preference.

 

[OldeSmoker]

Welcome to the forum SmknSpud. I agree with David that simple is best, at least for me. I have made rubs adding additional spices and although they were good, I don’t think they were necessarily better. The rub David mentioned is very good. I like to add a pinch of cayenne pepper for just a little heat. Your chipotle glaze will accomplish that as well. The lazy Q brine will work fine. I tend to lean toward the simple brine of 1 cup kosher salt and 1 cup brown sugar to 1 gallon cold water. It provides flavor and moisture throughout the meat and it doesn’t get much easier. Good luck and enjoy your new smoker.

 

[barelfly]

Welcome to the forum!

For brining, I skip the wet brines and just dry brine over night - salt the tenderloin and let it sit on a rack/pan to dry over night in the fridge. Doing this, you can usually skip salt in your rub, and as it seems you will be creating your own rub, you can go with the flavor profile you are looking for.

As for the rub, since you plan on a glaze, I would just do something that pairs with the glaze. Perhaps a bit of garlic, and maybe some heat of sort (red chile flake, ancho chile powder, cayenne) that will pair nicely with the sweetness of the glaze.

Cook to a lower temp than you plan on serving, pull the tenderloin, glaze and then finish it on a gas grill to give it a little char. At least that is how I would go about it.

I think you have a great plan here - so throw out any pizza coupons! It’s going to turn out great!

 

[lgboro]

It's really easy to use too much wood when smoking tenderloins.  If you use too much it will have a bitter taste due to too much smoke.  Otherwise if you pull at the temp you have set they are moist and really good.

 

[prudentsmoker]

Personally I like to pull mine the minute they hit 145.

 

[Pork Belly]

Since you are glazing with a bold flavors of "raspberry chipotle glaze" Just season the meat with kosher salt.
Use 4oz of your favorite wood at 225 until they are 140 internal. Start yoour sear on a hot grill adding your glaze as the color and crust develops. be sure not to burn your glaze.

If you use butcher twine to tie up the loins to a consistent shape it helps with even cooking. I fold the narrow end of the loin over and tie it, then cinch down the rest of the loin.