Whole pork tenderloins can be found in almost every grocery store. It’s a fairly inexpensive cut of meat to marinate, rub, and simmer in a smoker. And for large groups, it’s a perfect, easy-to-serve dish … one that’s different and will make your missions complement you all night long.

The whole pork tenderloin is found on both sides of the pig’s spine. It is usually around 30 “long and can be divided into different” roasts. “You will see that these are referred to as” Top loin roast “or” Center loin roast. “Smaller, more manageable piece of meat.

I prefer to buy the whole pork tenderloin at stores like Costco or Sam’s and do the trim myself. It is quite easy and with a sharp knife you can do it yourself in no time.

You’ll want to remove the meat from the packaging first and rinse it quickly. Next, trim the silver skin (thin, “silver-colored” skin), as well as any excess oil that may be attached. After a few minutes of trimming, you should have a clean piece of lean meat.

It is not necessary to remove all fat, but large deposits should be removed. Smaller bits of fat will melt during cooking and keep the meat moist. At this point, you can divide the entire tenderloin into smaller sections or leave it whole. It depends on the size of your smoker and how many people you want to serve.

Tenderloin can be used for a number of things: it can be cured into Canadian-style bacon, cut into pork chops (tenderloin chops), cut into country-style ribs, or smoked whole. But with this recipe we are going to smoke the whole loin. This is a perfect recipe for a backyard barbecue or a big party.

To smoke it whole, you will need a few things:

• Smoker for indirect cooking

• Wood and charcoal as fuel

• “The BBQ Rub” by Killer Hogs.

• Marinade

• Meat thermometer

Pork itself doesn’t have much flavor, but best of all, you can infuse it with just about any flavor you like. I do this by marinating the whole tenderloin overnight.

The marinade consists of:

• 1 cup of apple juice

• 1 cup of pineapple juice

• Cup of olive oil

• Cup of red wine vinegar with garlic

• Cup of Dijon mustard

• Cup of maple syrup

• Cup of molasses

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Fresh thyme, parsley and oregano (a few sprigs of each chopped together)

Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large saucepan and heat gently. It does not need to boil; just heat it enough to combine the flavors

Cool the marinade and place the whole tenderloin in a large bowl. I use a 3 gallon zip lock bag, but any container large enough for the task will work.

Pour marinade over tenderloin and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. The longer you let it sit in the marinade, the more flavor will get into the meat.

When you’re ready to cook the tenderloin, remove it from the marinade. Let excess marinade drip off before applying next step.

Now is the time to season the whole tenderloin.

I use The BBQ Rub. because it has the perfect amount of sweetness, flavor and spiciness … but you can use whatever seasoning you prefer.

Start with some Dijon mustard all over the tenderloin first and then sprinkle with The BBQ Rub.

Let the whole tenderloin rest while the smoker reaches the proper temperature. Your smoker should be 225 degrees with light smoke. For the wood I use cherry. The smoke from the cherry adds a pleasant, smooth flavor all the way through and won’t overload you with harsh flavor.

Once the smoker reaches temperature, place the tenderloin on the grill and enjoy a cold drink. The hard work is done and now is the time to let the smoker do his job.

Hold 225 degrees and in 2 hours check and see what the internal temperature is. The target temperature is 145 degrees and it will take approximately 3 to 4 hours for the tenderloin to reach this temperature.

If you overcook it, the meat will be very dry, which is why I start checking the internal temperature at 2 hours … and then I continue to check it every 20 – 30 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of about 135 – 140 Once it reaches this internal temperature, it’s time to start glazing the pork tenderloin.

For my pork tenderloin glaze, I like to mix pineapple juice and 50:50 barbecue sauce and brush the outside of my tenderloin. Also, you can add apple jelly, preserves, honey, or anything sweet to the outside of the tenderloin at this time. Adding a sweet glaze at the end will complement the flavor of the pork and keep it from burning.

Keep a close eye on the enamel because it will darken quite quickly. It is important not to have the heat too high when frosting. Caramelizing sugars can go from a rich, sweet taste to a dark bitter in minutes.

I like to let the glaze sit on the pork tenderloin and “bake” for about 30 minutes.

When the tenderloin reaches the desired internal temperature, 145 internal, remove it from the smoker, loosely cover your tenderloin with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Removing it from the smoker at 145 and standing will allow the natural juices to redistribute throughout the meat. This is an important step and should not be skipped. Don’t worry about the pork tenderloin “going cold” because after the standing period it will still be very hot … but it will not lose all the juices as it would if you cut it up immediately.

Once rested, it’s time to slice the tenderloin and enjoy.

Serving suggestions are to simply cut the tenderloin into medallions (about 1 to 1.5 inches thick) and fan them in a platter, adding a bowl of your 50:50 BBQ sauce and pineapple juice to the side for dipping.

Or you can arrange your medallions on slip rolls and serve with a garnish of spicy mustard or Dijon.