Let's Talk BBQ

FORUM SPONSORS => Pit Barrel Cooker Co. => Topic started by: ronman451 on January 14, 2015, 10:46:01 PM

Title: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: ronman451 on January 14, 2015, 10:46:01 PM
For my third PBC cook, I tried my hand at a couple pork tenderloins. They were a bit over a pound each.

For prep, I seasoned them with the PBC All Purpose rub a couple of hours beforehand. They didn't look like they had enough seasoning so right before hanging, I sprinkled them with a bit of the Beef & Game rub.

Started the coals, waited 20 minutes, tossed in a couple of chunks of apple wood, hung the meat. Cooker temp was running a bit hotter than in previous cooks, around 300 degrees. Not sure what was different (my previous cooks temp was steady around 260 or so).

I cooked to internal meat temp of 145, pulled them off and wrapped loosely in foil for a 20 minute rest. I have to say here I've always cooked pork to at least 165, but I've been reading that the new "done" for pork is around 140, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy pink pork, so I let it go a little longer to 145.

The meat was very tender and juicy, and had a great flavor. I think I would prefer it just a bit more well-done, so next time I'll try pulling it at 150...

Plated with a sweet potato with honey butter and a green salad. Pics below.

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7536/16283433855_8bd3b46dac.jpg)

(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8568/16282600762_0e2b52b815.jpg)

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7466/16097573397_bdf98fa17b.jpg)

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7461/15663567533_a61f5deb43.jpg)

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7516/15661013924_408b8a779a.jpg)
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: nylic76 on January 14, 2015, 10:50:42 PM
Looks great.  I also have started pulling pork off at 145-150.
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: sliding_billy on January 14, 2015, 10:57:05 PM
Nice looking loin!
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: drholly on January 14, 2015, 11:08:27 PM
OHHHHHHH Boy!
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: muebe on January 14, 2015, 11:12:49 PM
Looks great!
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: ACW3 on January 14, 2015, 11:25:10 PM
NICE!!!  I had pork tenderloin tonight for dinner.  Didn't look like that!!

Art
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: Smokin Don on January 15, 2015, 12:32:25 AM
Those do look nice and great sides!!! Don
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: TecCrash on January 15, 2015, 12:35:28 AM
MMMMMM. That looks fantastic!
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: akruckus on January 15, 2015, 03:26:33 AM
That looks yumtastic.
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: Paul Hart on January 15, 2015, 04:00:32 AM
Did the wood add anything nice?
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: HighOnSmoke on January 15, 2015, 07:25:22 AM
Delicious looking tenderloin and sides!
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: hikerman on January 15, 2015, 08:22:14 AM
Good cook! Those loins came out nice!
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: Pam Gould on January 15, 2015, 08:26:44 AM
Very, very nice.. I pull at 145º..took hubby a while to get used to it, but it was juicy, so he lived thru it..now he is fine with it. Retraining old guys is not that easyt o do.  His mother cooked everything to death. Can't wait to SV one. Yours looks perfect.  Pam  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ. 
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: drholly on January 15, 2015, 09:03:25 AM
Did you add wood in previous cooks? Might have been why it was running a bit hot.
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: TentHunteR on January 15, 2015, 10:41:19 AM
The cooker may have been running a bit hot, but it sure didn't stop you from turning out a couple of beautiful, perfectly cooked tenderloins.  I would love a slice of that on a biscuit with an egg right now.
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: aliengriller on January 15, 2015, 11:17:47 AM
Pam--how long did it take to convince your hubby that pork cooked to 145 is OK?   My wife, being the stubborn red-headed German she is, just refuses to even eat it unless I can prove to her it's at LEAST 165!  She worked for a neurosurgeon who treated quite a few people from Mexico, I might add, with trichinosis (sp?).  Of course they bought their pork in Mexico.   Cannot convince her anything over 145 dries it out these days when they are butchering pork much leaner than even 15 years ago.   It has hardly ANY fat anymore.   And tenderloins never did have any fat!
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: ronman451 on January 15, 2015, 11:51:39 AM
The cooker may have been running a bit hot, but it sure didn't stop you from turning out a couple of beautiful, perfectly cooked tenderloins.  I would love a slice of that on a biscuit with an egg right now.

BBQ for breakfast? Inconceivable!

Here's my quick five-minute breakfast before heading out the door this morning. If I had five minutes more, I would have added some roasted New Mexico green chile and made a burrito out of it...

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7514/16261202346_73b849c69c.jpg)
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: ronman451 on January 15, 2015, 12:05:53 PM
Did the wood add anything nice?

I think the apple wood adds a bit of complexity to the flavor in this cooker, but it's not real prominent. The wood chunks burn for only the first few minutes of the cook, which is okay by me because I don't dig over-smoked food.

For my next cook I am going to try it without adding wood chunks to compare the flavors. I'm also curious to see how the Kingsford Mesquite Briquets taste in the PBC.
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: drholly on January 15, 2015, 03:12:53 PM
Dinner AND breakfast both look delicious. mmmmm.... how about lunch?
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: ronman451 on January 19, 2015, 09:12:47 PM
Did you add wood in previous cooks? Might have been why it was running a bit hot.

Yes, I've used a chunk or two of wood on previous cooks as well, but you may be on the right track. Here's my thinking...

This is the first time I've cooked such a small amount of food in the PBC. For example this weekend I cooked eight racks of babybacks (about 24 pounds worth), and the internal temp was relatively low, around 230 on average (they turned out awesome, by the way)...

With the tenderloin, two things were happening. One, since this cut is so lean, there were not a lot of drippings to cool the coals, so the wood chunks pretty much just caught fire and burned. Second, the cooker was very uncrowded with only a couple of pounds of meat hanging.

So, my unscientific hunch is that hanging more food lowers the temp a bit in the cooker.

Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: Las Vegan Cajun on January 20, 2015, 12:04:19 PM
Breakfast looks great, I had four bones of my St. Louis ribs with my eggs this morning.  BBQ with breakfast is great. ;)
Title: Re: Pork Tenderloin
Post by: Pam Gould on January 20, 2015, 12:23:12 PM
Pam--how long did it take to convince your hubby that pork cooked to 145 is OK?   My wife, being the stubborn red-headed German she is, just refuses to even eat it unless I can prove to her it's at LEAST 165!  She worked for a neurosurgeon who treated quite a few people from Mexico, I might add, with trichinosis (sp?).  Of course they bought their pork in Mexico.   Cannot convince her anything over 145 dries it out these days when they are butchering pork much leaner than even 15 years ago.   It has hardly ANY fat anymore.   And tenderloins never did have any fat!
Welll good luck with that. It took a few times but when it came out juicy, it changed things. We have a lot of pork growers around here so it's fresh, that helps. Just have to burn hers and cook your how you like. We are still living,so I know it's ok..I always cook to temp so I know what is going on.  Pam  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.