Theory:

When you go somewhere and they serve pork loin, you can just about bet one of two things will happen:  Tough and dry, or boiled to mush.  Neither situation is a good thing.  This leads most people to believe that it must be hard to cook pork loin, and that’s just not the case.  All you have to do is keep two things in mind:  1.) Cook it to temperature not time, and 2.) Cook it on high heat.

 

The first rule is just basic BBQ: Time is irrelevant.  Always cook to temperature.  But slightly more important, pull it from the heat early.  All meats will continue to cook from their own internal temperature, so make sure you pull it early.  In the case of pork loin, I like to pull them at 158.  Wrap it in foil, and then a towel, and place it in cooler to rest for at least 30 minutes; an hour is even better.

 

The second rule, cook it on high heat: Around 350 degrees is a good start, but I’ve gone as high as 400.  Pork loin is a different beast.  For most large cuts of meat (i.e.: beef brisket, pork shoulder, etc.), you want to cook low and slow.  This is because of the connective tissue in those cuts.  The low temperatures for long periods of time allow the fat and connective tissues to break down and keep the meat moist.  The problem is, pork loin is a pretty lean and clean cut of meat.  In fact, it’s almost as lean as chicken breast.  The only thing low and slow will do is dry it out.  Cook it on high heat to the correct internal temperature and you will have great results.

 

Process:

Rub (Geek’s Standard #1):

6 TBS White Sugar

4 TBS Course Sea Salt

4 TBS Sweet Paprika

4 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp Chili Powder

2-3 TBS Garlic Powder

2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

 

Alternative (more heat):

1 tsp Chili Powder (instead of 2)

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

 

Prep:

Trim the pork loin of all fat and silver skin.  Rinse the loin in cold water and completely dry with a dish towel.  Coat the entire loin in yellow mustard and pour on the rub.  Message the rub and continue to add more until the juices stop showing through the rub.  Cook as explained above, at 350 to an internal temperature of 158.