Safe to marinade, dry rub and smoke ?

[Hopkins41]

I have a pork loin that I would like to smoke this Sunday, and I've been looking up different ways to do it. Biggest question I have is, is it okay to marinate for 24 hours, take it out and prior to smoking use a dry rub on it

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Hopkins41,

Welcome to the forum.

This is alright as long as you marinate it under refrigeration, and the cabinet temperature is at least 200°F (some sources say 180°F cooking chamber is safe). Just be careful of the type of marinade that you are using. If it is high in acid; such as vinegar and/or citrus juice; marinating that long may cause the outer layer of the loin to become mushy. If the marinade has a lot of salt, be cautious of how much salt is in the rub.

Marinating does not penetrate the meat that deep, even after 24 hours. It is usually used for thinner/tougher cuts of meat. If you want the flavor to penetrate deep into the meat, injection is a better way to go.

[Edward176]

Hello Hopkins41 and welcome to the forum.

[Gafala]

As Habanero has said the best way is inject the meat for big cuts. This is what I use

[manxman]

Welcome to the forum Hopkins41. Habs has as usual provided a succinct answer to your query, you will soon come to appreciate that on this forum in Habs we trust, he has helped so many people over the years and is an absolute legend!  :)