Pork Loin

Double wrap in HD foil, then in old towels, and stash in the "cooler." 45 minutes to several hours has never been a problem for me...

Attached instructions -- which I wrote up for non-Eggers, but includes full eggstructions for board members...

Roast Pork Loin Roulade

This recipe is for cooking a full pork loin – about a 10 lb roast. The recipe is for cooking it outdoors, in the world’s best smoker, a Big Green Egg [www.biggreenegg.com], and you may need to adjust it for your indoor kitchen oven. Of course, you can roast a smaller hunk-a meat… A full loin will serve 14 – 20 people.

I have, over the past year, cooked pork loin for groups of 30, 40 and even 150 -- on my Medium Egg, no less! [See note below]

What is a roulade? Fancy French word for "stuffing." A pork roulade is a stuffed pork loin. When you're done, it will look like a jelly roll -- but be of pork and stuffing [of course!].

Prepping a full 10 lb pork loin – The Day before the Cook!
Pork loin is as lean as chicken! Very little fat -- so pork dries out easily. Unless you have a large pan, cut the loin in half, creating two 5-lb roasts. To help keep the meat moist, I ALWAYS butterfly the loin -- that is, slice it so that it lays out, like unrolling a scroll. It's best to get the meat quite cold [but not frozen] to do this. When the meat is stiff, it's easier to control when slicing.

I season the inside [S & P, herbs, sauteed garlic and onion] and layer it with fruit, nuts, sometimes Italian sausage... Italian sausage and apricots -- yum! The sky's the limit! I’ve created raspberry roulades, apricot roulades, apple roulades… If you feel necessary, use rice as a base for the roulade, and add whatever you’d like. I use 50% wild and 50% white rice.

Now -- remember, pork is very lean... and everything tastes better with bacon. Fry some bacon, and place it inside the butterflied roast, along with your fruit, cheese, leafy-veggies and whatever else you have inside the roast. The bacon adds taste, and just as important, gives the meat some fat to help keep it moist.

Then, I roll it back up, so it now looks like a "jellyroll". Tie it firmly every 1.5 inches.
Apply your favorite dry rub to the exterior, wrap it in plastic -- and put it in the fridge overnight.

NOTE: Dr. BBQ’s Dry Rub recipe below.

The Next Day -- Cook Day...

Let the pork sit out for up to an hour to warm up to approach room temp before roasting. The exterior of the roast will be "messy," and the dry rub will no longer be dry. Don't worry about it -- take it to the fire! You'll still get a great crust.
Bring the Egg to HOT -- as in 600+F. Now, don't show off! Yes, the Egg will heat to 1000+F -- but unless you're a lot better at searing and controlling the depth of sear than I... 1000F is a little excessive. Even 500F will give a good sear [400F just isn’t hot enough for a good sear].

Recommend searing “direct” with a cast iron grid.
• When you turn the meat, pick the roast up with tongs, and place it down on an "unused" portion of the grid. Remember, the meat cools the metal, but remains hot-hot-hot where the meat hasn't touched.
• When you're ready to turn to another "side," the first part of the cast iron grid will have heated back up again.
• When searing, don't "rip" the meat off the metal. If the meat is "sticking," wait another 30 seconds. When you've got a good char, the meat will release from the metal. Remember – sear == taste.
• This is true of cooking indoors or out, on all cast iron surfaces.
• Puleeeeze! -- When cooking indoors, don't use non-stick for searing! [Shudder!]
Sear the roast about 2+ min on all sides [think of four “sides”]. Indoors, use your broiler. Then, pull the roast, and drop the Egg [oven] to 350F -- 375F, “indirect” w/ drip pan.
Keep liquid in the drip pan [anything, even water. I prefer apple cider]. Don't let the drip pan dry out, or the drippings from the roast will burn and the roast will pick up "stinkies..." Not good eats!
Roast until 145F-- 150F internal -- won't take long after searing... maybe 40 minutes.

Now -- Very Important! Double wrap the roast in heavy duty aluminum foil to keep juices from “leaking.” Further wrap the roast in several clean, old towels, and place the roast in a "cooler" chest for at least 1/2 hour -- up to several hours. The roast will "carry over" cook another 6 - 12 degrees, and get very juicy.

A side comment about internal temps. Your grandmother was taught that the internal temps of pork needed to be 170+F. Gaaaaah! This makes great shoe leather... as 170F degree pork is completely dried out. Thet Be dead meat, Bro!

Use an instant-read thermometer to determine the internal temp of your meats. Your children will love you, your guests will praise you... and you'll never serve raw or burnt meat again. Have I mentioned, yet -- 140 -- 145F internal? After several hours in the cooler -- slice 'n-serve!

Have you noticed -- with this technique [HDfoil, towels and cooler], you don't have to time the roast... Cook it early and serve it at your pleasure. Try it with tri-tip [internal temp 130F for med rare].
Get used to hearing... "I've never eaten a pork loin this good!" Respond with modesty, and give all credit to the Egg.

BTW -- make a simple fruit glaze to serve on top of the roast slices. Apple roulade, apple glaze... apricot roulade, apricot-dijon glaze... And don't forget to add some crushed bacon to the glaze!
Everything’s better with... oh, you've got that one figgered out!

Smiles!

~ Broc

This is a very good and basic BBQ Dry Rub.
It works well on any food for smoking or grilling. Compliments of DrBBQ [Ray Lampke], National BBQ Champion. www.drbbq.com
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix ingredients together
Store in dark, cool, dry place, airtight container

How can I feed 150 with just a Medium Egg?
You already know this answer! I roast two loins [20 lbs] at once, wrap 'em, and stash 'em in a cooler. Then, I roast another two, stash 'em! Then another two!
By the time I've roasted 60 lbs of pork, which will feed 150, the first roasts are still piping hot and juicy as can be. Transport 'em to the feed site, and serve 'em in the order they were roasted, to give the "last" ones as much “cooler” time as possible.

Pace-a Keek!

broc4brockway at yahoo dot com

The problem I have with stuffing pork loins is you lose the ability to actually monitor the meat temp. The temp of the stuffing does not equal the temp of the nearby meat. I cook mine whole, indirect, at 350 dome for approximately 1.5 hours and pull when they reach 135 internal temperature. Wrap in foil, place in a pre-heated cooler and the carryover heat will take it to 140 internal meat temp. I have personally pulled them off at 125 and they were delicious although not cooked to USDA standards so I wouldn't recommend you doing it. Like everyone else said, you over cook pork...you create shoe leather.