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
2h mTime 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.
Nutrition
Estimated · 1 serving · calculated from the ingredient list, not lab-tested.
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