Grilled Pork Loin after Brining: I bought an entire pork loin, carved half of it into pork chops, then brined the other half in a combo of apple, peach, and mango fruit juice and salt. After 6 hours in the brine, the pork loin is removed from the salty fruit juice and patted off with a paper towel. It’s then slathered in a garlic aioli and seasoned with a sweet BBQ rub. The seasoned pork loin is grilled indirect over charcoal for about 80 minutes before being seared to 145F. After resting about 20 minutes, the pork loin is sliced and served.

Seasoned pork loin on the upper rack of a grill to the right of a charcoal fire — GrillinFools Images ©

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Pork loin is such a wonderful protein. Carve into pork chops and cook them all sorts of ways from shakin’ and bakin’ to simply seasoned and seared hot and fast. Or leave the loin whole and allow for it to take on a nice amount of smoke flavor low and slow before finishing off over a hot fire like we do here.

My family mows down some pork loin over the course of a year. With a family of 6, I need budget proteins and this fits the bill.

And here at Grillin’ Fools, we have done pork loin quite a bit because we absolutely love it.

One of my favorite recipes is this bone in pork loin James Boatright and I did a couple years ago on the rotisserie.

This spiral sliced, tomahawk beauty is a little more work, but is quite impressive.

And this crusted, bone in pork loin is fabulous.

Quick heads up. I partnered with the Missouri Pork Producers on this recipe and the accompanying video.

Grilled Pork Loin after Brining Ingredients

1 pork loin, 3-5 pounds.
2 cups non citrus fruit juice (substitute cider)
2 tablespoons table salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise for the binder (substitute garlic aioli)
1/4 cup your favorite BBQ Seasoning ** – I used Meat Church Honey Hog

** Reserve a half teaspoon of seasoning to dust on at the end.

What is a Brine?
A brine is a salty liquid solution that we soak meat in to make the meat juicier, more tender and, if the brine has some flavor, taste better. See, we can get the first two results with a saltwater solution. To get the latter, we need to use a liquid that is tasty like apple juice, cranberry juice or cider.

Measuring cup filled with a pale yellow liquid placed on a red surface with a juice bottle labeled apple peach mango in the background and a container on the right — The brine GrillinFools Images ©

Pork and chicken are excellent candidates for brining. Particularly chicken breast. Why? Both pork loin and white meat chicken are very lean and easily dried out. Let me sum it up more succinctly in this paragraph that helps the SEO of this recipe:

Why Should I Brine My Pork Loin
Pork loin is just a bunch of pork chops that haven’t been carved yet. They are generally fairly lean, so they have a somewhat narrow window to cook them through without drying them out. What if we could make that window larger and make the pork tastier?
Brining in a liquid salt solution will push liquid out of the solution and into the cell membranes of the meat. Making the meat juicier. The salt in the brine starts breaking down connective tissue. Making the meat more tender (tender-er?). And if that liquid is something tasty like apple juice or cider (never citrus), then the liquid that enters the cell membranes will also add flavor. Making the pork more flavorful. Juicier, more tender, and more flavorful!? Win, Win, WIN!

Before we brine, let’s prep the pork loin.

This is super easy.

An entire pork loin is more than my family can eat and we have 6 people including THREE teenage boys:

A whole pork loin on a red cutting board with a wicked looking knife — A whole pork loin GrillinFools Images ©

I like to picture the pork loin as just a series of pork chops that haven’t been sliced yet, which it is, and cut it where I think I would have enough pork chops to feed my crew. In this case, about half of this is more than enough.

Let’s back up and check out what that entails:

The price of a whole pork loin plus the weight — Price and Weight GrillinFools Images ©

For my family of 6, this is plenty for 2 full meals and some leftovers. For a family of four, you could get 3 or even 4 meals out of this.

If you could get four meals out of this, that would be about $6 for the protein per meal. That’s pretty outstanding.

For us, it was $12, but I also had a full meal of the leftovers the following day, as did my 18-year-old son.

How?

I just started carving pork chops:

Carving pork chops off a whole pork loin — GrillinFools Images ©

A pork chop carved off a pork loin — Pork Chop which was my nickname in high school GrillinFools Images ©

Raw pork loin on a red cutting board with sliced pork chops and a small pile of minced meat nearby a knife rests on the board with a plastic bag in the background — Plenty for two meals for my big family GrillinFools Images ©

The chops went into the freezer for a meal the following weekend and the other half of the pork loin is ready for a sweet, salty bath

Create a Brine for our Pork Loin:

The golden ratio here is 1 cup of salt per 1 gallon of liquid. In this case, I used 2 cups of juice (1 pint) and thus 1/8 of a cup of salt, which is 2 tablespoons. Combine the two and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Then place the pork loin in a resealable plastic bag, pour the brine into the bag, seal it, and set it in the fridge for 2-12 hours.

Person pours a yellow liquid from a pitcher into a clear measuring cup on a wooden table wearing a blue shirt and brown apron — Pour juice into a measuring bowl GrillinFools Images ©

I used this combo fruit juice:

Apple Peach Mango Juice GrillinFools Images ©

We want lots of sugars. So cocktail from concentrate is just fine. We aren’t making a healthy smoothie here.

I just went with a fruit juice I knew my kids would like.

Avoid citrus fruits like orange juice. The citrus acid can cook the meat while it’s in the fridge. x

Person pours salt from a scoop into a glass measuring cup on a wooden table with juice bottle in the background — Add the salt GrillinFools Images ©

Person in a brown apron stirs a pale yellow liquid in a glass measuring cup a bottle labelled'Apple Peach Mango' sits nearby on the counter. — Stir till the salt completely dissolves GrillinFools Images ©

Then put the pork loin in a 2 gallon resealable bag with the brine:

Butcher wearing gloves seals a large portion of raw meat in a plastic bag with more meat on a red cutting board nearby — Into the bag GrillinFools Images ©

Butcher wearing an apron and gloves pours brine from a measuring cup into a large zip top bag of meat on a wooden table — Add the brine GrillinFools Images ©

Person wearing blue gloves holds a large resealable bag containing pink meat soaked in yellow liquid for briningmarinating — Seal the bag GrillinFools Images ©

Into the fridge for 2-12 hours.

Don’t think that if you brine it longer, the flavor will be even better. Soaking the meat in a salt solution for more than 12 hours crosses the line from brining and into curing. It will start to feel like ham in terms of texture if you brine for too long.

I brined for about 6 hours.

Remove the Pork Loin from the Brining Bag:

The outside of the pork loin is going to be pretty salty at this point, so I like to pat the meat down with a paper towel to remove any excess salty liquid:

Person in blue shirt and gloves patting raw meat in a baking dish with spices in bowls nearby in a kitchenstudio setting — Pat dry GrillinFools Images ©

I also like to put this on a raised cookie cooling rack:

Butcher in blue shirt and apron trims a large raw pork loin on a rack with bowls of spices nearby — On a cookie cooling rack GrillinFools Images ©

The rack will make it easier to transport without it slip/sliding around, which will cause some of the binder and seasoning to have to be replaced.

Speaking of binder and seasoning…

Slather and Season

This is super simple. Simply slather the top and ends of the pork loin with a thin layer of mayonnaise, or in this case, garlic aioli:

Gloved hand smoothing a layer of mayonnaise on a raw pork loin resting on a rack — Slather GrillinFools Images ©

Raw pork roast slathered with mayonnaise resting on a wire rack in a kitchen with a blue wall in the background — Slathered GrillinFools Images ©

Then hit it with your favorite BBQ seasoning:

Chef wearing blue gloves sprinkles dry rub onto a slab of pork loin on a cookie cooling rack — Season GrillinFools Images ©

Close up of a large seasoned pork roast on a rack a gloved hand pouring sauce over it indoors — Seasoned GrillinFools Images ©

Don’t forget the ends. Simply dab those slathered ends in the seasoning that didn’t make it onto the pork roast:

Large pork loil standing upright on a red surface heavily seasoned with a golden rub held by a gloved hand — Season those ends GrillinFools Images ©

Prepare the Grill

We are two zoning this bad boy. Coals on one side, meat on the other. Target temp inside the grill is 250F.

Drop a chunk of smoke wood on the coals, and when the lid is closed, instant smoker.

Grill the Pork Roast

And I just put that cookie cooling rack right on the grill across from the coals:

This grill has a charcoal basket that I can raise and lower. So not only is the pork roast off to the side, but it’s also elevated away from the heat.

I used a chunk of pecan wood for the smoke, a very versatile wood that works well with pork and beef.

For a list of smoke woods and what they pair with, check out the best list of smoke woods on the internet.

The only time I moved the pork loin was to rotate it 180 degrees so the far side was closer to the heat after about an hour. At which point we were only at about 100F:

Slab of smoked pork roast on a barbecue grill with a digital thermometer reading 100°F — One hour in GrillinFools Images ©

Once the pork loin reached 130ish, it was time to give it a sear:

Barbecued pork roast on a grill grate with a digital thermometer showing 129°F — Ready to sear GrillinFools Images ©

I cranked the grill basket up near the top and took the pork loin off the cookie cooling rack and dropped it right over the hot coals, which were indeed very hot:

Barbecued pork loin sizzling on a grill with a glossy glaze and orange flames in the background — Flame on GrillinFools Images ©

I placed this fat cap down, and that fat liquified in moments and turned into an inferno:

Smoked pork loin searing on a charcoal grill with flames and smoke nearby glaze caramelized — FIRE IN THE HOLE GrillinFools Images ©

The fire was hottest in the back of the grill, so I place the pork loin near the front and used the grill grates to slide back and forth to sear the pork loin and at the same time keep it from burning:

Barbecue grill with a thick glazed piece of pork roasting over orange flames on a metal grate — Over the heat GrillinFools Images ©

Then I slid that grill grate over to the side of the grill without direct heat or the safe zone. It was easier to slide it back and forth than grabbing that five pound chunk of pork with tongs:

A large piece of barbecued pork with a dark glazed bark cooking on a charcoal grill with flames and smoke rising nearby — Off the heat and over the safe zone GrillinFools Images ©

Here’s a better view of that pork loin over the side with no coals, also, I dropped the fire basket down a few inches as it was just too hot:

Thick piece of barbecued meat with a caramelized glaze on a grill over hot charcoal — Better view GrillinFools Images ©

Keep in mind that this is a thick piece of pork. We want to char it all the way around, not just the top and bottom.

What about the sides? Well, just hold the grilled pork loin propped up on the sides over the coals:

Pork roast cooking on a charcoal barbecue held on the grill by long tongs with smoke rising from the coals — Char the sides GrillinFools Images ©

Barbecued pork roast being grilled over hot charcoal with a pair of tongs gripping it — And the other side GrillinFools Images ©

When I got done searing this monster, due to the sheer size it was still only about 139F so I put it back to the indirect side of the grill and closed the lid till it hit 146F:

Barbecued pork loin cooking on grill with a digital meat thermometer reading 146°F — Grilled pork loin ready to rest before slicing GrillinFools Images ©

Off the grill and resting:

Smoked pork loin on a red cutting board with a knife outdoors near a grill and green backyard — Resting GrillinFools Images ©

I’m not a big believer in resting steaks, but roasts like pork shoulder or brisket or pork loin here, need a few minutes rest. This one got about 20 minutes while I prepped the sides for dinner. Carryover cooking is a thing as you are about to see. Had I cut into it after maybe 10 minutes, it still would’ve been a little pink. But with the extra time resting, the roast went past pink, which is fine as most people prefer it that way. PLUS, with the extra liquid infused from the brining process, we still have super juicy and ultra tasty pork

Hand using tongs to carve a thick smoked pork loin on a red cutting board outdoors — Carving GrillinFools Images ©

Sliced roasted pork with a browned crust on a red cutting board Juicy pale interiors show of tender meat — More juicy shots GrillinFools Images ©

Remember that last 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning I told you to pull back. Now’s the time for that.

The outside of the pork loin is well seasoned, infused with smoke and nicely charred. But the inside is a little bland. Give it a dusting:

Sliced smoked pork loin arranged on a red cutting board dusted with seasoning with juices pooled nearby outdoor grill in background — Dusted with the extra BBQ Rub GrillinFools Images ©

But what if you need to cook it inside for whatever reason? That’s not hard at all. You won’t get the smoke flavor but it will still taste fantastic.

Oven Cooked Pork Roast after Brining

In order to achieve outstanding results inside, simply place the pork roast, cooling rack and all, on a lipped baking sheet and put it into an unlit oven. Turn the oven up to 250F and check the internal temp after about an hour. Take the roast to 135F then pull it out of the oven and grab one of those counter top griddles. Have that thing ripping hot and sear the pork roast all the way around and the ends. Once the roast is browned all the way around, it will be close to the magic 145F. If it’s a little short, place back into the oven till it reaches your desired doneness.

Sliced smoked pork on a red cutting board with a knife in the background several round slices arranged in a stack — MmmmmmMmmmmm GrillinFools Images ©

Grilled Pork Loin Recap

I sliced the pork thick like chops and thin like say at a carving station at a high-end buffet. Either way the grilled pork was uber tender and super juicy. And I warmed some slices up the next day in a skillet and they were still ultra juicy. HUGE fan of brining and using mayo or aioli as a binder, and of the reverse-sear method to cook it. And not just me, but my four kids, wife and even the battle axe.

If you have any questions or comments about the grilled pork loin after brining or the reverse sear, feel free to leave them below or send me an email.

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Recipe Card:

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Grilled Pork Loin after Brining

Grilled Pork Loin after Brining: A pork loin, brined in juice before being smoked indirect until 130F. We finish with a hot sear to bring the pork to 145F

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 30

Resting Time10

Course: Entree, Main Course, Pork Loin Roast, Pork Roast

Cuisine: American, American Fare, Grilling, Pork

Keyword: Aioli, Barbecue, BBQ, BBQ Rub, BBQ Seasoning, Binder, Brine, Brined, Brining, Charcoal, Garlic Aioli, Grill, Grilling, Indirect Grilling, Juicy, Mayo, Mayonnaise, Pork, Pork Loin, Pork Loin Roast, Pork Roast, reverse sear, Reverse Sear Method, reverse seared, Super Juicy, Two Zone Grilling

Equipment

1 Two gallon resealable plastic bag
1 Cookie cooling rack

Ingredients

1 Pork Loin Between 3-5 pounds
2 cups Fruit juice or cider Non citrus juice
2 tablespoons Salt
¼ cup Mayonnaise for a binder Substitute garlic aioli
¼ cup Your favorite BBQ seasoning (We used Meat Church Honey Hog) Reserve 1/2 teaspoon for after slicing

Instructions

Place the pork loin in the plastic bag.
Pour the fruit juice or cider into a measuring bowl and add the salt. Stir thoroughly until all the salt is dissolved. Pour the brining liquid over the pork loin, seal the bag and place in the fridge for 2-12 hours
Remove the pork loin from the fridge and the brine and pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess brine. Place the pork loin on the cookie cooling rack and slather with the mayonnaise binder (or garlic aioli) and then season the top and the ends. Flip over and season the bottom and head out to prepare the grill.
Set up the grill for indirect or two-zone grilling with coals on one side and no coals on the other. Target temperature inside the grill is 250F. Drop a chunk of smoke wood on the hot coals and place the pork loin on the side with no direct heat. Close the lid and enjoy a cold beverage.
After 45-60 minutes, rotate the pork loin 180 degrees so the outside of the pork is now facing the fire to ensure even cooking.
Once the pork loin reaches 130F-135F, place it over the hot coals and sear not just the top and bottom, but the sides and ends as well. Once the outside is charred nicely, the pork roast should be close to 145F. If it is still short, or you want to cook it a little longer because you prefer it that way, place the loin back over the side with no direct heat, close the lid and allow it to cook indirect until it hits your desired doneness.
Once it reaches your desired doneness, remove from the grill and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. Finally, slice and dust with the remaining seasoning. Serve and enjoy.

Video

Scott Thomas

Scott Thomas, the Original Grillin’ Fool, was sent off to college with a suitcase and a grill where he overcooked, undercooked and burned every piece of meat he could find. After thousands of failures, and quite a few successes, nearly two decades later he started a website to show step by step, picture by picture, foolproof instructions on how to make great things out of doors so that others don’t have to repeat the mistakes he’s made on the grill.

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