Smoked Pork Tenderloins

Smoked Pork Tenderloins - "Pork. The other white meat" was an advertising slogan the National Pork Board used in 1987 to pitch pork as a white meat alternative to chicken or turkey. Back then the USDA standards was to take pork to 160ºF which unfortunately tended to make pork dry and tough. The USDA has since changed their standards and now recommend to take pork to 145ºF which leaves the pork moist and tender. The most tender cut of pork is the tenderloin just like a beef tenderloin which provides Filet Mignon. The pork tenderloin equivalency to Filet Mignon is a Medallion and is commonly known as the Filet Mignon of Pork. But one thing is certain, the pork tenderloin is 2 to 3 times cheaper than the beef.

One distinct feature of a pork tenderloin is a small amount of connective tissue known as silver skin. I highly recommend that you always remove the silver skin because it doesn't dissolve when the tenderloin is smoked. Remove the silver skin using a very sharp paring knife by working the knife between the silver skin and the muscle fibers. Angle the knife slightly upward and use a sawing action.

Rub the trimmed pork tenderloins with roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil and lightly season with your favorite pork seasoning/rub. I recommend using Jan's Original Dry Rub which can be found in my cookbook The Wood Pellet Smoker and Grill Cookbook. Wrap the seasoned pork tenderloins in plastic and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.

Preheat your wood pellet smoker-grill to 225ºF with Premium Perfect Mix wood pellets. The Perfect Mix is comprised of Hickory, Cherry, Maple, and Apple hardwood pellets. The formula is a closely guarded secret but the results are magnificent! Smoke the tenderloins for approximately 2 hours until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF. Rest the smoked pork tenderloins loosely under a foil tent for 10 minutes before serving.

Note how moist and tender the pork tenderloins are. The reddish color of the tenderloin is a product of the cherry pellets. Cherry will tend to give a reddish tint to meat. Especially pork, chicken and turkey. The tenderloins were so tender that I easily cut the meat with a fork.