Smoking Pork tenderloin turned into football ham

[3rdear11]

This was my first time smoking a pork tenderloin.  Injected it and rubbed it, let sit in fridge overnight.  Got up about 6am, let pork rise to room temp.  Put pork in (@730am) when the smoker was about 110 degrees, over 15 min or so smoker temp went to 150.  There it sat for about 4 hours, until all the smoke had depleted itself from the wood box (soaked chips).  Turned up smoker temp to 200.  Waited another 2 hours until the pork's internal temp was 170 degrees.  Removed from smoker and wrapped in foil, let it sit on counter for 2 hours.  It looked the part but after slicing into and tasting it, discovered I made a football ham somehow.  Was kinda salty and tough, like the compressed meat stuff at deli counters.  

See cell phone pics here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x9gvgqkwfcpe51r/2013-03-17 15.16.46.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n3a4izwyf7bu8xx/2013-03-17 15.17.03.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/amq01cgrcibrhhq/2013-03-17 15.17.32.jpg

My goal was to make a nice smoky BBQ something.  

Thoughts?

*thanks in advance

3rdear11

 

[s2k9k]

I think you cooked at way too low of temperature, 4 hours at 150* is going to dry it out. I dry jerky at 150*. And you cooked it too long, 170* is pretty hot for a loin, there isn't any fat in it to break down so the higher temp isn't needed. Next time try getting the smoker up to about 225* then put the loin in and take it to about 145* IT.
What did you inject it with? I'm curious why it was so salty.

I see this is your first post here so when you get a minute would you swing by "Roll Call" and introduce yourself so we can give you a big SMF Welcome, Thanks!

 

[bruno994]

Just a quick question, why did you start the smoker at such a low temp?

 

[3rdear11]

Injected it with:

3/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup salt

2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

It's not dry at all, very juicy, like wet deli meat slices.  Just tough.  I imagine after your comments I overcooked it?  The smoke ring was only about an eighth of an inch deep.  I was under the impression that the smoke was to last as long as possible, curing the meat (as to why the low start temp), and the higher heat was just there to finish off the meat once the smoke had depleted.   

 

[s2k9k]

What kind of smoker were you using?

 

[3rdear11]

It's just a lowes master forge

 

[3rdear11]

I also had a beef brisket on the rack above the pork.  It turned out in similar fashion.  After discovering this I put it into the crock pot to save it, which worked.  Smoky flavor, crock pot soft tenderness.  

Which leads me to ask:  do smokers react the same way to their volume consumption as normal ovens?  ie. I can load up my oven with a whole bunch of stuff, but each cooks relatively independent of the others.  Or do the rules (time/heat considerations) change as I add more to the smoker?

 

[s2k9k]

It's just a lowes master forge

Propane, electric, or charcoal?

 

[3rdear11]

Propane...  Sorry I should have mentioned that.  

 

[pgsmoker64]

Hi Charles,

When smoking a pork tenderloin go ahead and start it in a 225* smoker...not sure why you started at such a low temp.

Next...a pork tenderloin is done when the IT hits 145*, so leaving it on til it hit 170 will make it a little tough.

Sounds like it tasted good though!

Good luck on the next go 'round!

Bill

 

[3rdear11]

Thanks to all.  I'll actually preheat the smoker next time.  And follow these instructions.