Hey Experts! I need a little help with a 4 1/2 lb whole boneless pork loin.
My desired result is to brine, smoke, cut into chops and grill.
I'm planning on using a basic brine of 1 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup sugar, some herbs and spices.
Now.. here come the questions..
24 hr brine? More / Less ?
After the brine, should it be towel dried and left open in the fridge for a while? I've only done chicken so far and that's what I did with that to create a pellicle, but I wouldn't think I would do that for pork, right?
If the above question is no, and I want to go straight into the OBS, do I first let it come up to room temp?
Ok, now for the smoking... I've heard anywhere from 1 hr to 4 hrs? I'll probably use hickory.
Since I want to go straight from the OBS to the grill, should I care about internal temps in the smoker?
I'm still a rookie at this, and it would seem to be pretty simple, but I guess everyone had to have a "first" at some point.
Thanks in advance for any help, you guys/gals are awesome!
I would brine 12-24 hours.
If you cut into chops before you smoke you will create more surface area for the smoke.
I wouldn't worry about the pellicle on pork.
I would start with 2 hours of smoke @225F. Depending on the load they will be about 1/2 to 3/4 done at that point. If you are going to grill I wouldn't worry about the IT from the smoker.
Thanks FLBentRider! Great suggestion on cutting into chops before the smoke. Sometimes the obvious escapes us :)