Smoked Pork Loin Center Rib Roast with OhShit That’s Good Seasoning
Ingredients:
Protein
3 – 4 lbs Pork Loin Center Rib Roast
2 – 3 Tbs Avocado Oil
Seasonings for OhShit That’s Good Seasoning
(*** This makes more than you will need for this size roast. You can use what is left on pork, chicken, beef, or seafood and cooked any way you like.)
2 Tbs Ancho Chili Powder
1 Tbs Chili Powder
1 Tbs Kosher Salt
1 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
2 tsp Fresh Ground Melody Peppercorn
½ tsp Cayenne Powder
1 ½ Tbs Dried Cilantro (optional)
Equipment
Smoker (or Grill with offset smoker)
Medium mixing bowl to whisk together the seasoning
Whisk
Baking sheet to prepare roast
Apple Wood
Oak Wood
Charcoal
Directions:
Pull your pork loin center rib roast out to come to room temperature; this could take 30 to 60 minutes. (If frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator a day or two prior to cooking it.)
Start your charcoal (12-15 briquettes) in the bottom of the smoker. Have your wood close by ready to add onto the charcoal for your flavored smoke of choice.
Prep the seasoning rub while the briquettes are getting white hot. Whisk all of the seasoning ingredients together. Place them in a zip-lock bag or a separate container until needed.
Once your pork roast is at room temperature, pat it dry and coat it in the Avocado Oil. (*** Avocado oil has a very high smoke point of 520 degrees with no flavor to it. That makes it a very neutral oil that allows the flavors of the smoke, seasoning, and meat to shine through.)
Then rub the OhShit That’s Good Seasoning all over the roast on every side.
Add a few blocks of Apple Wood to start the smoking. Your grill/smoker should be up around 225 degrees before adding the meat. I started mine off fatty side down and after 30 – 60 minutes, turned it with the fat cap up and left it there for the remainder of the cooking time.
Try and keep the temperature of the smoke chamber between 225 and 250 degrees throughout the entire cooking time. You may need to add charcoal briquettes to heat up the temperature. I found using Oak Wood helped in keeping the temperature in the zone that I was trying to maintain. When you notice the smoke is growing faint, be sure to add more Apple Wood to the fire.
Throughout the day, we found that if we opened our smoke stack for more air flow, the temperature would rise, and if we closed it down the smoke would build in the cooking chamber and it made it easier for maintaining an even heat.
Use a meat probe thermometer to help you gauge when the port is finished.
(*** This was my first time smoking meat and I was unaware of wrapping it at a point to help in the “bark” development though I am not sure that is always a requirement.)
The roast was started on the smoker at 9:00 am and was finished with it around 8:00 pm; around 11 hours. The temperature did bounce around from 200 to 350 degrees and there were a few moments where there was no visible smoke. But for the most part, the temperature zone was maintained and a mixture of Apple and Oak smoke rolled from our backyard most of the day and into the evening.
The smells that this roast was emitted while we were putting together the rest of our meal had us salivating. We allowed the meat to rest 30 minutes before slicing it. We were rewarded with a juicy pork roast with a significant smoke ring that had fantastic flavor.
(*** While 30 minutes of resting worked for this cook, I have since learned that allowing your smoked meat to rest a couple of hours in a towel lined cooler will help in keeping the meat juicy and tender.)
Everyone has different smokers/grills and their choice of what and how much fuel/smoke to use may vary, so be sure to monitor your setup and keep a close eye on the progress. Most of all, be prepared for a long day, and don’t stress over it, enjoy yourself. While I stayed busy, I was also able topic back, relax and read a little too. Have fun and enjoy trying something new.