Here goes nothin...

dsmith · December 2010

Well, actually about $15 of pork tenderloin. I just received my egg last week and now am looking at 3 inches of new snow here in Tennessee. I'm not much of a BBQer but I have high hope that my egg will change all of that.

So, here it is at 6:30 am and i just put my pork in some salt/apple juice brine. I'm gonna let that soak until this afternoon at which time I'll rub it. After reading a lot of forum posts for pork (and the fact that my retailer did not have any xtra large plate setters in stock last week) I'm gonna cook it direct.

My plan is to sear it a little around 450 and then drop it down to about 300 and turn kinda frequently. I'm guessing that may take about an hour or so.

Any thoughts, suggestions on this plan? This is the FIRST time I will use my egg and the FIRST time I've ever grilled a tenderloin. Like I said, I'm new at this but also ambitious. After all, if I screw it up I'm only out a few bucks and I'll be wiser for the experience.

EggSimon · December 2010

sounds good. Sear or not. Both works.

Prob with searing in your case is, ya don´t have a plate setter. And it´s perhaps hard for you, to get the egg down to 300 F, especially if you have not experiance with the egg. And especially the XL (be aware of the soild ceramic amount which is quite hot after searing...)

I suggest to do no sear, just direct with a little fire (burning lump, so to say). Cokk at 350 F and flip it over or to the side every 5-10 minutes.

Or you can cook indirect. The XL provieds enogh space to concentrate the lump on one side of the firebox and add the loin on the opposite side on the grid. Vertical offest, so to say. This set up provides an indirect set up. Ya can so searing direct over the lump and finish indirect on the other end of the grid.

whatever ya like, but to 150 F internal, not more. Pork tenderloin is not very fat, if ya go higher, it will become dry.

Good cook !

dsmith · December 2010

Should I still put a full load of lump in the egg? That was my plan.

Thanks.

EggSimon · December 2010

have edit my post, perhaps your question is ansewerd.

Spring Chicken · December 2010

Ten year ago, long before I got my platesetter, I had to cook everything direct. But I learned that once the Egg's temperature was stable (usually about 45 min to an hour) I could sear something on both sides and then shut the bottom vent completely and place the rain cap on top, effectively shutting off the fire. From there it would be baking. Some longer than others, of course.

I still do it that way on 1" thick steaks @ 750° direct for three minutes, over for three minutes and then dwell (bottom vent closed and rain cap on) for three minutes. Works well for me.

You might consider trying that method.

Good Egg'n to you.

Spring "Be There Indirectly" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

gdenby · December 2010

Do you have anything to raise the grill, or will you be using the basic set-up with the grill on the fire ring? If basic set-up, I'd suggest using a partial load of lump. A direct cook will expose the meat to lots of IR, which can quickly char the surface of the meat.

Frequent turnings are a good idea. I suggest once every 10 minutes, depending on how intense the fire is.

It can take quite a while for an Egg's temperature to come down. As Spring Chicken said, completely shutting down an Egg leaves enough heat to cook many thing thru. For this reason, I sear at the end, if I'm going to sear.

You might like to try some cheaper experiments next. "Pork steaks," so called, marinated and cooked direct come out very well. The excess fat gets rendered out, and keeps the meat from drying. I like to do an eight hour marinade in teriyaki sauce, and then direct with a dome of at least 400 for 10 - 12 minutes per side, or internal of 155-60.

Frank from Houma · December 2010

Like EggSimon said dropping an XL from 450 to 300 will take a while.

Do you have a tenderloin or a loin? Fifteen bucks sounds more like a loin.

If you really want to sear, you could take the firering out, stabilize at 350, sear closer to the lump, remove and put the firering back in, then roast till 135, remove and cover with foil for 10-15 minutes. Will coast to 140. Would work for a tenderloin or loin.

A good thermometer is the most important part of the cook. Searing, close to lump, partial lump load, dome temp, etc. are secondary IMHO.

crghc98 · December 2010

I'd do a reverse sear...

start out at the lower temp, then crank up the heat, sear all sides and pull....

A good thermometer is key, and I think Pork is way overdone at 160...

I'd pull it much sooner, but with my wife I at least have to take it to about 145 and let it come up into the 150's during the rest.....working on her though but she is in the pork can't be pink crowd......

fishlessman · December 2010

if its a tenderloin it cooks quick, would just throw it on at the higher heat. now if its a loin(bigger than a tenderloin and have seen folks confuse it as a tenderloin)would do just as you say and if your having difficulty lowering temps sear it then finish it wrapped in foil

stike · December 2010

450- 500, direct (raised direct is a little 'safer'), toss it on the back and roll it forward every 30 seconds or so. when it doesn't stick, it's ready to turn. if it sticks fast, then it ain't ready.

should only take ten or fifteen minutes.

i wouldn't complicate the cook with multiple temps and all that.

it's a glorified burger cook really.

Here goes nothin...

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