Whole pork loin recipe request?

My mother-in-law will be leaving town after next weekend and will be gone until after Christmas, so I was thinking about cooking a whole pork loin for Sunday's dinner, before she leaves. I don't want to get out the grill, so I'm planning on roasting it. I searched through the archives here and didn't find anything that appealed. I'm looking for something simple, as in without a lot of highly flavored seasonings. Any suggestions?

Howie, are you saying that you will be doing a 10-12 pound boneless loin? I think it would be worth getting the grill out, but then the Kamado has me spoiled. I don't know how adventurous your M-I-L is but I would likely just use some olive oil to moisten the outside of the meat then sprinkle generously with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. I would mix up a (combined) couple hands-full of fresh sage and fresh rosemary and pat that on with the S&P, and roast to about 140-145 internal temperature. I like the flavor of pork and am hesitant to add a lot of other flavors to the meat. Just my $0.02 worth.

I like to do what Bob does. If you want to make it a little more Fall/Winter you could roast it with apples and onions, too.

I don't have it with me, but I like the simple recipe I found in the newspaper that uses onions and lime. Slice thin and do it all in the frying pan. It's wonderful.

Rub the pork with garlic, then cover liberally with dry mustard and ginger. Roast.

Yum! And the house smells incredible.

Bob - It's about 9 lbs. I'm with you about not overpowering the flavor of the meat, especially for wintertime Sunday dinner. Your approach sounds good and I like sage with pork.

Robert - Onions would work for me - maybe carrots too, in the pan, like a pot roast. I have a 1/2 bushel of Cortland apples and was thinking of fresh apple sauce on the side.

Laura - Thanks, but I'm not sure where we're eating - may be my house, my son's or my mother-in-law's, so if I have to transport it, I'd rather do it whole. However, I may lop off a couple of thin slices and do something like a scallopini another night.

Cyhthia - I'm not a big fan of ginger, but I think the garlic would go well with Bob's suggestion.

Thanks everyone!

Howie, at Thanksgiving, my daughters M-I-L asked me if I would do her turkey on my Kamado grill and I agreed to do it. I cooked it to the specifications printed on the package (Amish untreated turkey) and took it off at 2PM. This was a bit earlier than I expected, and they ate later than they expected. Here is how I handled the keeping it warm.

when I took it off the grill onto a cookie sheet to carry inside the juices ran onto the pan, so I poured that back on the breast to moisten. I wrapped the entire bird with heavy foil and then wrapped that in a clean bath towel. Then I placed the whole thing into a cooler which happened to be just the right size. Three hours later when the bird was unwrapped, it was still steaming, and when the bird was sliced juices ran onto the platter.

My whole thing here is that you can keep your loin warm and moist no matter if you have to transport it or not. Enjoy.

Sometimes I will smoke a Boston Butt on my grill. Afterward I will wrap it in foil and then wrap that in a paper grocery bag. It stays warm and moist for at least 1.5 hours. The loin would probably work this way too. Just be sure to wrap it tight in both packages.

Robert, what kind of a smoker do you use? I also do pork butts on my Kamado. My method is to set the kooker up and get it up to about 210-215 and stabilize that. When the cooking chamber had reached and maintained the desired temperature for a half hour, I put the meat on using an indirect method. after 18-20 hours (on one load of charcoal) the meat has reached an internal of 190 degrees and the meat can be pulled using just a couple forks. I think I prefer apple wood for the smoke, but with loins I pull them with an internal of about 145 and I like hickory for those.

Bob, I use an old Webber kettle grill that I got about 10 years ago. I have two charcoal trays that can be moved to the side for indirect heat. I put a drip pan in the middle. I like to use hickory (chunks, not chips) as I find that mesquite gives a bitter taste (why so many people down here like it is beyond me, and I'm a native). My rub is pretty strong so apple wood tends to get lost. I keep the temp right around 200 but never above 250. The total smoking time is usually 4 hours. I do the thing with the foil and paper to let the meat rest and steam a little while I get the fixin's ready. It is always fork tender.

18 hours seems a long time for pork. I usually do brisket for 10 - 12 but my pork cooks up pretty quick.

My dad was supposed to bring me his old oil drum smoker but he never did. It looks like I'm going to have to go up there and take it (he lives in Marlin near Waco - of - Branch Davidian Fame).

I don't know if you subscribe to Cook's, but the latest issue has herb-crusted pork loin featured -- looks good.

[Jenise]

Howie, an absolutely delectable way to cook pork loin is to insert garlic slivers all over the guy, then rub it generously with salt plus any number of herbs or spices to season. They sink into the slits you made for the garlic and provide additional flavor for the interior meat. But about not liking ginger--it's one of those flavors that takes on exceptional characteristics when combined with others even if you don't like it on it's own. Me? I like ginger only in moderation. Ginger ale? Hate it. Molasses? I hate it. Black from all the molasses Gingerbread? I would kill for it! In combination, the ingredients have magic. I also use quite a bit of ginger in my rib rub--you can't taste it's presence, but the rub would be far less interesting if the ginger weren't there. I think you'd find the same with Cynthia's mustard rub--though this occasion may not be one for experimenting, why not give it a go sometime and prove it to yourself one way or the other? The worst thing that can happen is you find out you really hate it, but most likely you'll discover that with mustard and pork, it's a winner.

Howie, an absolutely delectable way to cook pork loin is to insert garlic slivers all over the guy, then rub it generously with salt plus any number of herbs or spices to season. They sink into the slits you made for the garlic and provide additional flavor for the interior meat. But about not liking ginger--it's one of those flavors that takes on exceptional characteristics when combined with others even if you don't like it on it's own. Me? I like ginger only in moderation. Ginger ale? Hate it. Molasses? I hate it. Black from all the molasses Gingerbread? I would kill for it! In combination, the ingredients have magic. I also use quite a bit of ginger in my rib rub--you can't taste it's presence, but the rub would be far less interesting if the ginger weren't there. I think you'd find the same with Cynthia's mustard rub--though this occasion may not be one for experimenting, why not give it a go sometime and prove it to yourself one way or the other? The worst thing that can happen is you find out you really hate it, but most likely you'll discover that with mustard and pork, it's a winner.

This is really good advice.

Howie,
I do not have a recipe but will be doing the same thing over Christmas holidays. I will be using the grill, just seems like nothing else is as flavorful. Also, the #1 rule for me is brining. I will not grill a pork loin, or almost anything except fish, without first brining the meat. Have done it both ways and IMHO there is no comparison. Here is my rec. Get the charcoal grill out even though it is cold, brine, rub it with a minimum of spices, maybe just S&P, cook until 135 inside, tent and let rest about 15 minutes. Inside will be 150 and very, very moist.
Walt
PS: I forgot, sear over the coals and then move to the other side of the grill for indirect cooking.

Jenise - I've never put things inside of meat before, but now you've got me thinking "adventure". Just stab with a knife and jam in while garlic cloves? I may even do the ginger thing.

Walt - For me the grill is pretty much a summer thing. I love it in the summer, but just not the same without fresh corn-on-the-cob, tomatoes from the garden, etc.

[Jenise]

Howie, yes. Use the smallest paring knife tip you have so that you're not making holes much larger or deeper than the garlic slices you're going to stick in there, but yeah, it's a GREAT way to season meat. And the garlic is delicious to eat, too. Plan on your garlic slices being about 1/8" thick, and place them no further apart than every two inches, being careful to ensure that when it's sliced, each slice will have at least one sliver. I think you'll love the result. And I do hope you try Cynthia's rub, too. I'm sure we'll convert you.

Howie, yes. Use the smallest paring knife tip you have so that you're not making holes much larger or deeper than the garlic slices you're going to stick in there, but yeah, it's a GREAT way to season meat. And the garlic is delicious to eat, too. Plan on your garlic slices being about 1/8" thick, and place them no further apart than every two inches, being careful to ensure that when it's sliced, each slice will have at least one sliver. I think you'll love the result. And I do hope you try Cynthia's rub, too. I'm sure we'll convert you.

I do this with a boneless lamb leg sometimes. It is a great technique.

It worked out very nicely! I cut the 8 lb. boneless loin in half so it would fit in the pan on a rack. I then stabbed it all around and filled the slits with garlic slivers (used a whole head of garlic) and seasoned with S&P. Next, in a small bowl I mixed 2 tbsp ground ginger, 2 tbsp Coleman's dry mustard and equal parts of white wine and EVOO to make a thin paste, which I brushed all over. Cooked at 450 for 30 minutes and lowered to 275 for about another 90 minutes, when the internal temp hit about 160. Excellent - nice flavor and very aromatic. I have some leftovers, which I think will become stir-fry. Thanks everyone for your input!