Pecking Order Pork Tenderloin.
Smoke low until 140°F, then sear the crust hard—that's the difference between good and great
Smoke low until 140°F, then sear the crust hard—that's the difference between good and great
Ingredients
Ingredients
- FOR THE TENDERLOIN:
- 1 whole pork tenderloin
- salt (1/4 teaspoon per pound of tenderloin
Method
-
01
Preheat smoker to 175°F
15 minGet your smoker dialed in at 175°F and let it stabilize for a solid 15 minutes — you're looking for steady, thin smoke rolling, not temperature swings that'll mess with your cook time.
-
02
Season tenderloin with salt and rub
3 minPat rub gently for even coverage.
-
03
Smoke tenderloin until 140°F internal
120 minTime varies by size; about 2 hours for 2-pound tenderloin.
-
04
Rest tenderloin for 10 minutes
10 minLet that tenderloin sit out of the cooler while you finish prepping; it'll come up to room temperature so it cooks evenly from edge to center instead of leaving you with a cold core.
-
05
Slice into 1-inch medallions and re-season
5 minSeason both sides of each medallion.
-
06
Sear medallions over very high heat
6 minCaramelize rub on both sides; final internal temp 145-150°F.
From Mike's Notebook
Pull the tenderloin at 140°F — it'll coast to 145-150°F during the sear and won't dry out.
Re-seasoning after slicing matters because the rub's spice settles during smoking and needs refreshing.
High heat for the sear means your pan should smoke before the medallions hit it.