#smoking #food

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cook time: 1.5 to 2 hours Smoker temperature: 225-240°F Meat

Smoked Pork Tenderloin

While much of the pork that we smoke and grill is anything but healthy, smoked pork tenderloin rivals lean white meat chicken in calories, fat and cholesterol. Eat it because it tastes amazing and enjoy the fact that it's also healthy!

• Preparation time: 20 minutes

• Cook time: 1.5 to 2 hours

• Smoker temperature: 225-240°F

• Meat finish temperature: 145°F

• Recommended wood: Cherry

• Pork Tenderloin (usually come 2 to a package)

• Mayonnaise (optional)

• Yellow mustard (optional)

• Jeff's original rub recipe (purchase recipes here)

• Jeff's Texas style rub recipe (free when you purchase the original rub recipe)

These often come packaged in sets of (2) and it rarely says so on the package for some reason. A good way to tell is by the weight– most tenderloins will weigh around 1 lb each so a 2 lb package probably has (2) tenderloins. If it says 1.17 lbs, there's probably only one in there.

Remove these from the package and give them a good rinse under cold water.

Pat dry with a paper towel and lay them on the cutting board.

Use a very sharp knife to remove the silverskin that will often be along one side.

Slip the knife under one end and just follow it to the end. If you miss a part of it, just give it another go.

While you have the knife in hand, it's a good idea to remove any excess fat as well.

I normally use my original rub on all pork but I wanted to try out the Texas style recipe on these pork tenderloins so I did one with the original recipe and one with the Texas style recipe. (purchase recipes here)

As an afterthought, I also decided to use a different sticking base for each one.

Mayonnaise contains oil and egg and makes a great base for applying rub and helping it to stick. I often use this on chicken but felt it would marry better with the Texas style rub recipe.

I used my normal mustard base with the original rub recipe on the other pork tenderloin.

Make sure to get the rub applied well to all sides and the ends.

Set up your smoker for cooking at 225-240°F.

If your smoker came with a water pan, use it.

When your smoker is up to temperature and holding steady, it's time to cook.

I placed the tenderloins on a Bradley rack to make it easy but you can also just place them directly on the smoker grate.

Keep the smoke going for at least 1 hour but it's ok to keep a light smoke going for the entire time as well. Cherry wood smoke goes great with this pork.

I highly recommend the use of a remote digital probe meat thermometer and you have plenty of options for these.

The Smoke by ThermoWorks is my usual go to thermometer for things like this. The probe stays in the meat throughout the entire cook and is attached to the sending unit that sits next to the smoker.

The receiver is in my pocket or next to me where I can see it.

In this way, I have constant knowledge of the smoker temperature and the meat temperature without having to walk out to the smoker.

Is that lazy or just efficient? 😉

Is it vitally important that the pork tenderloin be removed from the smoker at 145°F. This is the safe temperature for pork.

It should take about 1.5 to 2 hours for the pork tenderloins to reach 145°F.

Place a foil pan or a piece of foil over the tenderloins for about 10 minutes to let them rest.

Once rested, slice the pork into pieces and serve immediately.

How about grilling?

Pork tenderloin, like chicken, can be cooked hotter if you prefer and even cooked on the grill but I recommend indirect heat for all options.

No matter how hot you decide to cook it, watch the temperature of the meat carefully and when it reaches 145°F, it is done.

Round vs. Oval Slices

I am ok with the oval slices and because this reduces the thickness of the meat, it gets done faster if you just let it lay soft of flattened out.

If you want perfectly round slices, use some cooking twine to tie up the pork tenderloin in about 3-4 places along the length of it. This will hold it in a round shape but will take slightly longer to cook due to the increased diameter.

Please note that my rubs and barbecue sauce are now available in 2 formats– you can purchase the formulas and make them yourself OR you can buy them already made, in a bottle, ready to use.

Get the Digital Recipes for Jeff's Rub and Sauce

**Instant Download!**

***Note: you get the Texas style rub recipe free with your order!

If I could give these recipes away, I would do that. I really want you to have them! But, then, this is how I support the newsletter, the website and all of the other stuff that we do here to promote the art of smoking meat.

Read these recent testimonies:

"Love the sauce and rub recipes. So far I have used them on beef ribs, pork ribs, and different chicken parts. Can't wait to do a beef brisket. Texas rub is great as well!" ~Peter S.

"I tried the rub on a beef brisket and some beef ribs the other day and our entire family enjoyed it tremendously. I also made a batch of the barbeque sauce that we used on the brisket as well as some chicken. We all agreed it was the best sauce we have had in a while." ~Darwyn B.

"Love the original rib rub and sauce! We have an annual rib fest competition at the lake every 4th of July. I will say we have won a great percent of the time over the past 15 years so we are not novices by any means. However, we didn't win last year and had to step up our game! We used Jeff's rub and sauce (sauce on the side) and it was a landslide win for us this year! Thanks Jeff for the great recipes. I'm looking forward to trying the Texas style rub in the near future!" ~Michelle M.

You see the raving testimonies and you wonder, "Can the recipes really be that good?"

No worries! Make up a batch and if it's not as good as you've heard.. simply ask for a refund. Now that's a bargain and you know it. Let's review:

• You decide you don't like the recipes.. you don't pay!
• The recipes are absolutely amazing!
• Once you order, there'll be no more recipe ads in the email version of the newsletter

Well.. what are you waiting for.. click on the big orange button below to order the recipes now.

I really, really appreciate the support from my newsletter friends and be sure to let me know if you have any questions about this.

Jeff's Smoking Meat Book

The book is full of recipes and contains tons of helpful information as well. Some have even said that "no smoker should be without this book"!

With more than 800 reviews on Amazon.com and a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, it comes highly recommended.

It is a Bestseller in Barbecueing & Grilling books on Amazon.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | German Edition

Digital versions available via Nook | iTunes | Kindle

Get Almost Anything at Amazon

If you enjoy the newsletter and would like to do something helpful, then..

The next time you decide to order something at Amazon.com, use THIS LINK to get there and we'll get a small commission off of what you purchase.

Thank you in advance for using our special link: http://www.smoking-meat.com/amazon

Printable Recipe

Smoked Pork Tenderloin - So Lean and Delicious

While much of the pork that we smoke and grill is anything but healthy, smoked pork tenderloin rivals lean white meat chicken in calories, fat and cholesterol. Eat it because it tastes amazing and enjoy the fact that it’s also healthy!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 20 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Hot Smoking

Servings: 4 -6

Step 1: Rinse

• These often come packaged in sets of (2) and it rarely says so on the package for some reason. A good way to tell is by the weight– most tenderloins will weigh around 1 lb each so a 2 lb package probably has (2) tenderloins. If it says 1.17 lbs, there's probably only one in there.

• Remove these from the package and give them a good rinse under cold water.

• Pat dry with a paper towel and lay them on the cutting board.

Step 2: Remove Silverskin

• Use a very sharp knife to remove the silverskin that will often be along one side.

• Slip the knife under one end and just follow it to the end. If you miss a part of it, just give it another go.

• While you have the knife in hand, it's a good idea to remove any excess fat as well.

Step 3: Apply Rub

• I normally use my original rub on all pork but I wanted to try out the Texas style recipe on these pork tenderloins so I did one with the original recipe and one with the Texas style recipe.

• As an afterthought, I also decided to use a different sticking base for each one.

• Mayonnaise contains oil and egg and makes a great base for applying rub and helping it to stick. I often use this on chicken but felt it would marry better with the Texas style rub recipe.

• I used my normal mustard base with the original rub recipe on the other pork tenderloin.

• Make sure to get the rub applied well to all sides and the ends.

Step 4: Set up Smoker

• Set up your smoker for cooking at about 225-240°F.

• If your smoker came with a water pan, use it.

• When your smoker is up to temperature and holding steady, it's time to cook.

Step 5: Smoke Cook

• I placed the tenderloins on a Bradley rack to make it easy but you can also just place them directly on the smoker grate.

• Keep the smoke going for at least 30 minutes but it's ok to keep a light smoke going for the entire time as well.

• I highly recommend the use of a remote digital probe meat thermometer.

• Is it vitally important that the pork tenderloin be removed from the smoker at 145°F. This is the safe temperature for pork.

Step 6: Serve

• Place a foil pan or a piece of foil over the tenderloins for about 10 minutes to let them rest.

• Once rested, slice the pork into pieces and serve immediately.