# Smoked pork loin spongy texture



## emory97 (Mar 25, 2017)

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__ emory97
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I bought a Tyson pork loin from Walmart yesterday and smoked it on my rec tec this morning. It all went fine, about 4hours it 225, but when I cut into it, it had a spongy, slick texture. Has this happened to anyone else? I've never seen anything like it.


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## myownidaho (Mar 25, 2017)

Do you know if it was treated with a salt brine as a preservative?


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## GaryHibbert (Mar 25, 2017)

Sorry.  Can't help you.  This is a new one on me.

Gary


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## emory97 (Mar 25, 2017)

I'm not sure. I took pictures then threw it away and went to Walmart and got a refund.


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## myownidaho (Mar 25, 2017)

Good decision.


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## gr0uch0 (Mar 25, 2017)

MyOwnIdaho said:


> Good decision.


X2.  That said, once you got it home, what exactly did you do with it from bag to grill?  Think you really just got a bad one, but just to make sure.


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## emory97 (Mar 25, 2017)

I put it in the refrigerator yesterday evening when I got it home, took it out this morning, rinsed, dried, then put dry rub on it, then into the red tec


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## pc farmer (Mar 25, 2017)

emory97 said:


> I put it in the refrigerator yesterday evening when I got it home, took it out this morning, rinsed, dried, then put dry rub on it, then into the red tec


No issues there.

Just a bad one as others said.


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## emory97 (Mar 25, 2017)

That's what I figured. I showed the customer service at Walmart and told them to check the others, not sure if they took me seriously though.


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## gr0uch0 (Mar 25, 2017)

c farmer said:


> No issues there.
> 
> Just a bad one as others said.


Yep, just chalk it up to a bad one and move on.  Good on Wally for taking care of you also.


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## flippers (Mar 25, 2017)

Yuck! Tyson is usually the best when it comes to pork. I've cooked about 20 whole loins since xmas. Never had a problem. But that is messed up my friend!


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 26, 2017)

Looks like it may have been enhanced and fermentation gasses made the pockets. A first for me and I have cooked hundreds of loins...JJ


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## emory97 (Mar 26, 2017)

I figured Tyson would be the way to go, I guess I just didn't have much luck picking it


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## gr0uch0 (Mar 26, 2017)

emory97 said:


> I figured Tyson would be the way to go, I guess I just didn't have much luck picking it



Not your fault, for certain.  Almost looks like weevils wound their way in and out of it, were it grain based.


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## okie362 (Mar 26, 2017)

Looks lik a Chicken McNugget on the inside.  I don't eat those either BTW.


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## DanMcG (Mar 26, 2017)

I've never see anything like that before...


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## DanMcG (Mar 26, 2017)

Ok I posted your pic on a FB site where many of the members are in the meat industry and got a few good responses as to what happened here.

*_PSE pork loin injected to compensate so that it would be moist because PSE pork does not hold water and cooks to a dry texture even when cooked to perfect temp. This was over injected. Most likely bought at a big box supermarket or wholesale club 

* If it is injected it could be bacteria creating gasses inside the product. So it could be lack of cleaning injection needles or not disinfecting them. 

*Over injected with a brine containing phosphate
 Without phosphate no holes would form


*as someone who works in the meat processing industry , direct competitors with Tyson actually, E.W. above is 100 percent correct 
That is over pumped with phosphates...
and to be even more specific it's probably not pumped , it's tumbled most likely. 

*There are two things that could be causing this one more likely than the other. The most likely reason is that it is enhanced and the producer didn't have their pressure dialed in correctly on their injection needles or there was air in the line. Either way, in this scenario, the solution was pumped with air also entering the muscle.
Alternatively, and probably less likely, this is, in fact, voids left by some variety of bacteria that made their way in during the pump.
Either way its from the pumping procedures and not necessarily the ingredients. 
_

Hope this helps answer the mystery. 
Should have just listened to Chef JJ


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