Pork Roulade good flavor bad texture

2Fategghead · June 2010

I egged this cook and checked the outside temp it was

On with the cook

I had this pork loin brining overnight last night. This morning I drained the brine and replaced it with fresh water for an hour then I drained again and left covered in the fridge until we were ready to cook it.

When I took it out I took my jaccard to it and then I butterflied it and took the jaccard to it again. We then put some cold baked sweet potato slices in it as well as some smoked cheese and some bites of garlic. I rolled it up and covered the top in bacon and tied it with string. Raging river was the rub of choice.

The egg was stable at 350° direct and raised high in the dome. It took almost 90 min's to get to 140°.

Then I pulled it and foiled it for 30 min's.

I could tell when I sliced it it was very firm in texture. When we took a bit it had great flavor and juicy bit not tender. Not in the least. I will pound it next time. If anyone has tips on making this cook tender I could use the tips. Tim

Little Steven · June 2010

TTim,

I have been doing all my pork at 250* except tenderloins and everything has been melt in the mouth tender.

Steve

2Fategghead · June 2010

Hey Steve, I wondered as we were chewing if we or I should have slowed this cook down. Do you pound it any as well. Thanks for the tip. Tim :ohmy:

Grandpas Grub · June 2010

Steve, what temperature are you cooking the meat to?

If I pull at 140° - 145° then the rest, I usually get a very tender result.

Kent

Celtic Wolf · June 2010

Been pulling mine in the 135-138 range and cooking at 325. Always moist and tender. Ohhh I never brine them.

Usually don't wait 30 minutes though..

NibbleMeThis · June 2010

Pork loin is lean and doesn't have much connective tissue, have you used a jaccard on one before?

I have had some tough pork loins once or twice. Perhaps it was just a tough pig?

2Fategghead · June 2010

Thanks Pete. Tim

2Fategghead · June 2010

No Chris this was my first loin and on some bites of loin I had to stop chewing and use the napkin. I had it soaking in a very low sodium brine over night and then took the jaccard to it. I guess I will do this again. When is the question. I guess when I get my cook figured out. Tim

NibbleMeThis · June 2010

Wow, that is tough. I was thinking you meant "just not tender" but that would be bad, I agree.

I do sometimes have a hard time getting a good temp reading on roulades because of the hot spots, but from the pics, it looks ok. Honestly, I'm a bit perplexed because it doesn't look overcooked, excessively fatty, or anything. Everything you did doesn't seem out of line with what I do so I'm not sure why it was so tough, either.

Hmmmm I'm starting to lean towards the "it was a bad pig" theory :P

2Fategghead · June 2010

bad pig...bad bad pig! :unsure:

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · June 2010

if you took the temp at the center, that was the coldest spot, right? and that would have been the stuffing, meaning the pork was probably 145-150. sitting for 30 minutes, that much mass will get to 160 easily.

even at 160 it is usually still moist initially when you cut it, but dries out. your brine would probably have kept it moist for you though.

guess what i'm saying is, personally, 140 would be overcooked, especially given that it probably went much higher during the rest.

pork loin isn't tough, and i haven't ever brined it either.

i would recommend doing one with no brine, no stuffing, and let it hit 135 in the center. the rest of maybe 20 minutes will take it to 145, which is safe.

you simply have too many variables to be able to point at it and say it was the jacquard/brine/cut/doneness

honestly, i'm betting it's a combo of all of them though.

simplfysimplifysimplfy. after doing a straight forward loin, you'll be able to judge whether the next one truly needs any of the help of a brine or mechanical tenderizing.

2Fategghead · June 2010

I agree. Start at square one with as few variables as possible. Then add to the cook. Thanks, Tim

Nature Boy · June 2010

Good advice below to first cook a pork loin simply until you get the tenderness you like.

But the 2 things that stand out for me are:
1) Dang....them is some thick slices.
2) I thought Jacarding was for meat with lots of connective tissue? Jacarding a pork loin would have never crossed my mind. Maybe the hundreds of holes you punched in it let out some juice?

Just thinkin.
Beers
Chris

2Fategghead · June 2010

Thanks Chris. I am thinking about what I did. Tim

Florida Grillin Girl · June 2010

I am agreeing with Chris here. I never thought to tenderize a pork loin, which is already a tender cut of pork. In essence, the cook was properly done, it was definitely a problem with the meat in my opinion.

Faith

thirdeye · June 2010

At first thought, I would think you overcooked it slightly and that toughened it up. Or maybe it happened during the foiled rest.... A loin by nature is naturally tender, but that muscle is long does change from one end to the other. I prefer the rib end to a center or sirloin cut. The rib end muscles will show a color change, the second photo shows how they look on a buckboarded loin, but even when grilling you can notice a slight change.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · June 2010

agreeing with chris, and everyone else.
hahaha

:laugh:

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · June 2010

pork loin is a tremendous value. no idea why it's so cheap (here, anyway).

2Fategghead · June 2010

Well from what I gather

I should try to purchase a loin from the rib end
no need to tenderize
no need to brine

Smoke it as is low and slow 250° till IT reaches 135° then tent and rest for cary over to 140°-145°

cut thiner slices

use this as a starting point for next loin cook

thirdeye · June 2010

You're right. And a quick cook too. I cooked these up on Thursday night for a work potluck on Friday. I brined them during my lunch hour put them in the cooker at 6 and they were done by 8.

thirdeye · June 2010

Why not purchase a whole one, then you can experience one end to the other?

I'm still in favor of brining.

Beli · June 2010

Love roulades Tim, this looks very nice

2Fategghead · June 2010

What brine method? Do you folow method 1 or 2 or other?

2Fategghead · June 2010

Thanks Beli. I'm still working on my prep and egging technique. Tim

thirdeye · June 2010

The 1A aka Lite version, partially because it's now my curent favorite.... and because I like to put a heavy crust of seasoning on them.

2Fategghead · June 2010

It looks like you roll it around and brown it on all sides. What is your bge cooking method? Low and slow 250° indirect. 350°-400° direct. Or the combination of both. Tim

baychilla · June 2010

Nature Boy wrote:

Good advice below to first cook a pork loin simply until you get the tenderness you like.

But the 2 things that stand out for me are:
1) Dang....them is some thick slices.
2) I thought Jacarding was for meat with lots of connective tissue? Jacarding a pork loin would have never crossed my mind. Maybe the hundreds of holes you punched in it let out some juice?

Just thinkin.
Beers
Chris

#2 is what I was thinking, combined with the temp issue that Stike et al mentioned. I've only used the jacard to make tough cuts into swiss or chicken fried steak.

thirdeye · June 2010

Even though there is some flame showing in that earlier picture, I just have a medium fire around 300° or so. I started it with the grate in the low position, then finished it off with a raised grate over direct coals. during the riased part of the cook I do let the fire ramp up. I do roll it around to even out the color and I scored the fat to give it a little char.

I got a new cast iron pan that I've tried a few times for finishing roasts. This is a lamb roast, but you get the idea.

2Fategghead · June 2010

Thank you thirdeye. You have been very kind and informative. Tim

Pork Roulade good flavor bad texture

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