Pork Tenderloin...Yuck

FatMike

Been egging 5 + years, however my recent cooks have me stumped.  Tonight, got the egg going at 350 degrees steady for about 60 minutes.  I put a couple of pork tenderloins on and cooked to an internal 145.  Thin blue smoke but noticed a remanent of that nasty smelling smoke lingering on my hat and clothes and sure enough the tenderloin was filled with that nasty taste.  Lump was Royal Oak red bag lump.  Last few cooks have been the same.  Of course Wife and kids eat it up but I'm appalled by it.  Not sure if I just developed a sensitivity to the lump charcoal burning smell or completely lost my egging ability which I doubt but unfortunately or fortunately I never get that nasty bad charcoal taste from my stick burner which has me perplexed....anyone ever experience this?

tulocay

I don't have the experience you do, but I would say it is the lump. RO IMHO has an awful voc problem. I tried Rockwood and will never go back. Virtually no VOC's and have never had that bitter taste with it.

cortguitarman

You might have a bad bag of lump.

sumoconnell

I would think it's either a bum bag of lump, or some grease has gone rancid... Has it all been with the same bag?

Lit

I ha e never had that problem and would guess I have burned through 1000 pounds of royal oak in the last couple years

saluki2007

When was the last time you did a clean burn. There could be some bad grease burning up in there.

Lit

Did you put any wood?

FatMike

No wood, just lump

FatMike

May be a bad bag of lump and the VOC's. Walmart RO is my only option in this barren land of OHIO.  I was rock steady for 45 min to an hour.  Wasn't too long since I did a clean burn so I don't think that would be the problem.  I have been cooking in about 10 to 15 degree weather but again I seemed to be burning clean at 350

Mattman3969

Since RO is all that you use I am not gonna say try brand xxxx. If your recent cooks that had the bad taste have been from the same bag I think I would burn the rest of what is in the egg and do the next cook with a fresh bag of lump.

s_austin_egger

I'd have a replacement gasket ready and do a clean burn. I'd also change lump. If that doesn't fix it I would have to figure that my taste buds just aren't enjoying it right now.

MaskedMarvel

Or some piece Of plastic fell in there...

ShadowNick

Sounds like you had some grease/fat fall on the lump from a previous cook that didn't completely burn off

SmokeyPitt

I have had a couple of cooks where there just seemed to be a funk as you described.  It went away.  Like others mentioned it could be grease down in the egg somewhere, or just bad lump.  I think ash build up behind the firebox can also contribute.  The fire might not be burning cleanly because the air flow is blocked.  I would do a clean burn, then remove the innards of the egg and clean it out.

Botch

MaskedMarvel said:

Or some piece Of plastic fell in there...

 

"Uh, where's my Thermapen??"  

:-O

Mickey

Make sure Jr has not put a plastic toy in the big green castel