# Pork Tenderloin



## shrimp nasty (Aug 6, 2013)

Evening All,

Picked up a pre-seasoned pork tenderloin at the store tonight with every intention of making it in the oven as usual. But then it dawned on me, that maybe I can smoke it. Before I wanted to solicit any suggestions, I did try to search for pork tenderloin cooking temps, times etc. It looked like 1.5 hours per pound and an IT of 140.

So again, I picked up a pre-season 1.25 pound pork tenderloin. Is this smokeable? Should I just shoot for 2 hours at a temp of around 220? What about a mop? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Using an MES 40 if that helps you, help me.

Cheers

Shrimp


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## ferd66 (Aug 6, 2013)

Regardless of the amount of time, I wouldn't pull it before the IT reaches 155°.   Your milage may vary...


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## smokinut (Aug 6, 2013)

The tenderloin is so lean, I'd personally wrap it with bacon. But that's just me, everything is better wrapped with bacon :-). And I'd pull it off when the IT hits 145–150° then foil it for at least 30 minutes. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4


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## foamheart (Aug 6, 2013)

Ok, pork tenderloin and not a loin will cook sspuper fast, New requirements are an IT of 145 I believe, but as small as they are, I always two both (mine normally come two to a pack) and I tie 'em up together. Then I cook 'em. If you like, wrap 'em in bacon because there is no fat and dense meat so they will not have much moisture.

I would only hazzard a guess, but when I double 'em and tie 'em up together, they take around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours to get to and IT of 140 using 220 degrees cooking temp. Foil it for 30 min.

Have fun, take pictures and remember to enjoy the smoke.


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## cliffcarter (Aug 6, 2013)

Here's a couple I cooked yesterday, on the Chargriller with apple wood for heat and smoke.

I like to cook them between 300° and 325°, they are very lean cuts and benefit more from a faster cook rather than "low and slow" IMHO.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/146563/pork-tenderloins


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## radio (Aug 6, 2013)

Another option is the way I started doing mine.  Take it to 145-150° or thereabouts, take it off and foil it tightly with a bit of apple juice and take it to 200-205° just like pulled pork eithe in the smoker, or finish it faster in the oven at 350° and slice it like like you normally would instead of pulling it.  The apple juice and foil keeps it very moist and it is some killer eats!   If finished in the oven at 350° it will shrink though.

Save the drippings in a saucepan, add some leftover brewed coffee.  Make a roux with butter and flour being sure to brown the roux just a bit and whisk it in the juices in the saucepan over medium heat until thickened to make an awesome gravy for the pork

After doing them this way, I likely will never go back to normal pork loin


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## shrimp nasty (Aug 6, 2013)

I apologize for this next question, I'm the type of guy that burns water.... So if my IT is 140-150ish, do I pull the meat once it hits that IT? Or should I let it cook at the IT for a certain amount of time? Because I feel like a lot of the things I smoke reach the IT MUCH  MUCH quicker than the suggested cooking time is reached. Maybe I'm doing everything wrong from the beginning... I usually fire up the smoker, let it get to my desired cooking temp and then put the meat on. Should I let the meat heat up w/ the smoker?

Also, I don't have any bacon on hand and I'm not going to the store before I make this (this time at least). Can I suffice with a mop? If so, how often should I apply said mop?

I appreciate everyone's willingness to help. God knows I need it.


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## sqwib (Aug 6, 2013)

Probe it at the thickest part and pull it as soon as it reaches 140 . Foil. Rest. Slice.
I usually pull my loins at 137 - 142 and foil... carryover heat should bring it up to 145. No need to add anything to the foil just wrap and rest


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 6, 2013)

radio said:


> Another option is the way I started doing mine.  Take it to 145-150° or thereabouts, take it off and foil it tightly with a bit of apple juice and take it to 200-205° just like pulled pork eithe in the smoker, or finish it faster in the oven at 350° and slice it like like you normally would instead of pulling it.  The apple juice and foil keeps it very moist and it is some killer eats!   If finished in the oven at 350° it will shrink though.
> 
> Save the drippings in a saucepan, add some leftover brewed coffee.  Make a roux with butter and flour being sure to brown the roux just a bit and whisk it in the juices in the saucepan over medium heat until thickened to make an awesome gravy for the pork
> 
> After doing them this way, I likely will never go back to normal pork loin


OK, First off we and you are talking about two different cuts of Pork... A Pork LOIN 4-5" thick and if whole 24" long weighing 8-10 pounds, can be cooked as you describe if you wish, not my thing. Not enough connective tissue and fat to maintain the texture I like. Anyway the OP is talking about Pork TENDER LOIN a tiny 2" X 8" 1-1 1/2 pound hunk of extremely lean, even less connective tissue piece of meat. Cooking it above 135*F, some pink or 145*F no pink, makes it the driest most tasteless waste of pork you have ever put in your mouth. Although you can take it to Pulling temp the result is like eating Dental Floss with BBQ Sauce!

Virtually all meat up to 4 inches thick will experience about a 5*F IT rise as they rest. Large cuts like Butts, and Beef anything will go 10*F higher so ALWAYS pull under temp, just as it hits, and let it rest and Rise to what you actually want the finished temp to be. The rest is up to you Mopping will result in Zero Bark. Temps under 250*F will have a limited bark but good smoke flavor. Smoking at 300*+F will give a good Bark but less smoke as the cook time will be short, 1 hour or less...JJ


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## shrimp nasty (Aug 6, 2013)

Well, the wife doesn't like a super smokey flavor (gonna use some pecan chips) so it sounds like high temp (310?) and a short time (50 min?) is good as long as I reach an IT of (150?). Should I still pull it at desired IT and foil for 30 min?


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## venture (Aug 6, 2013)

I would refer people back to Chef Jiimy's post for a careful reading.

Yes the "pork tenderloin" does come off the pork loin.  But it is a way different cut than is sold as the "pork loin" or "boneless pork loin" which are usually sold without the tenderloin. Unless they are sold as a whole pork loin with bone and the tenderloin included.

The tenderloin has to be handled much differently and much more tenderly.

Yes, you can, with effort and added ingredients, pull a pork loin or even a pork tenderloin.  In my opinion to do that would be a disservice to a wonderful cut of pork which would be better cooked in a different manner?

We have butts. They make great pulled pork.

For the loin?  I'll take mine at 145 max!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 6, 2013)

Shrimp Nasty said:


> Well, the wife doesn't like a super smokey flavor (gonna use some pecan chips) so it sounds like high temp (310?) and a short time (50 min?) is good as long as I reach an IT of (150?). Should I still pull it at desired IT and foil for 30 min?


You want to take this out just as the IT hits 5*F Below what you want. It will rise as it rests because the outside is at 310*F and the inside is, in this case 145*F...SO...That heat still continues to COOK the meat as it sits rising to about 150*F +/-. If you don't pull the meat until it hits 150*F as you describe it will Carryover Cook, aka  continue to rise to 155-160*F and it will be Tough and DRY! Yes Foil and Rest 30 minutes or the Second you cut it any Juices that may still be there will run all over you cutting board and it will be...YEP...Tough and Dry...JJ


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## shrimp nasty (Aug 7, 2013)

Turns out the MES only goes up to 275... Or I'm doing something terribly wrong (and I won't rule that out). However, the tenderloin is in and I'm doing everything else as planned. I may even throw in some wings tonight as a movie snack. I checked out the post on here about injecting em and that's been on my mind ever since. Need to go buy a meat injector! Anyways, thanks again for all the help. It smells good so far, that's gotta count for something.


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## bigredsmoker (Aug 16, 2013)

GBR!


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