Pork tenderloin on gas grill with smoker box?

[BTLew81]

I have a Weber spirit and just purchased a smoker box. I am going to do a couple of one and a half pound whole tenderloins. I've done some reading which suggests doing them indirectly, which I think I am good with.

My plan is to soak my chips, get them in the box on the preheated grill, get them smoking, turn off the middle burner, turn down the other burners to medium/medium low, and then I'm guessing I'll be looking at about and hour or so cooking time.

Am I in the ballpark? First time I am using a smoker box and cooking indirectly, so any tips are appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Sluggo0018]

I'd say you are in the right ballpark. Soak more chips than you think you will need. You can always dry the leftovers out and reuse another day.

Also, be really careful not to overcook the tenderloins. There is almost no fat on that meat and overcooking them even just a little bit will lead to disappointing results. I can't convince my mother-in-law of this, but you no longer have to cook pork to well done to kill trichinosis, etc. It is ok to cook to medium (140-145 internal temp) then remove from heat, cover with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. They will be much juicier at lower temps. My MIL insists on cooking her pork loin to 175-185 and it tastes like compressed saw dust. It is almost inedible without a sauce or gravy. She is still living back in the day when raw pork had some nasty stuff that had to be killed with high heat.

What type of wood are you using? I would stay away from stronger woods like mesquite and go with a milder hickory or pecan.

Keep it low and slow for best results.

 

[BTLew81]

Super helpful. Thank you so much. Really appreciated.

 

[MrHorspwer]

It sounds like you've got a solid plan. Indirect cooking on Weber gas grills is actually straightforward, as they seal up pretty well. Still, any breezes may cause temps to fluctuate, so try to place the grill away from the prevailing winds. You may only need a single burner lit; two lit burners, even on low, may lead to too high a temp. I have a Genesis with the Weber smoking box that sits along the side of the burner. Sometimes the chips would go beyond smoldering and just catch fire, causing a temp spike. I think that was more the design of the Weber smoking box, so you likely won't have a similar problem. I kept a squirt bottle with some water to tamp down any flames from the chips. A digital remote thermometer with a high and low temp alarm is nice to have so you don't have to hover over the grill. Give yourself a nice cooking temp window and if you hear the alarm, check it out. Otherwise, let it be.

As noted above, USDA guidelines for safe temping of pork is now 145 degrees with a short rest. No need to kill it twice by cooking to 160+.

 

[hatt]

I have a Spirit 2 and cook tenderloins. Turn on all the burners and let the grill heat up. Leave on burner on. On high. Sear the tenderloins 4-5 minutes on each side. Take them off the direct heat and cook another 10-15 minutes. You could do something similar with the smoke box. I wouldn't soak the chips however since you want max smoke with the short cooking times. I've never had results I like cooking low fat meat for long periods.

 

[Imp4]

Very little room for error on these per the previous comments.
Definitely use a meat thermometer with a lead so you can monitor internal meat temps with the grill lid closed.

Watch the thermometer and remove at 145° with a 5 minute rest after. Your shooting for a final internal temp of about 155°.

If you overshoot it will be as dry as a desert.
Good luck!

 

[greenjp]

You guys are crazy. I pull my pork tenderloins at 137, awesome and haven't gotten sick once

This is actually the temp recommended in a great marinade recipe we use frequently from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

jeff

 

[BTLew81]

Thanks again. Came out great. 145 on the Weber I grill. I may try a tad lower next time as it definitely kept cooking a bit after taking it off. Gotta work on my smoker box technique but overall it was great.

 

[another Todd]

Depends on whether you are slicing them or shredding them. For slicing them you are in the ball park, but I think you need to cook them a little longer. USE A THERMOMETER, to determine when they are done to your desired level. 2 hours ago (3am) I threw three pork shoulders on my smoker, and I am babysitting them with apple wood chips for about another hour (3 total) then they can finish without smoke for the next 7 hours until they reach about 203 degrees. I have a temp probe in each one I can read in the house with my 4 probe remote, the last probe is in the air to watch cook temps which I try to keep between 225 and 250. When they reach their temp, they will be pulled, wrapped and put in a cooler (without ice) for an hour and a half or so at which time they will have lost only a couple of degrees, then shred and enjoy pulled pork sandwiches and burritos with friends and family.