Smoked Pork Loin and Baked Potatoes

A month or so ago, I had something rare happen. I had the house to myself for the 

Smoke Pork Loin and Baked Potatoes
on the Grill

weekend. My wife had taken the kid off to see the Grands for a few days. On these rare occasions, I get to make whatever I want without having to worry about who is going to eat it. I had a pork loin in the fridge and found some potatoes and went to work. A smoked pork loin was just the thing I wanted.

I knew I had some yard work to do, so the smoker was the way to go. I put some seasoning on the pork and I was on my way!

The Tools

• Smoker or Grill
• Lump Charcoal
• Chimney Starter
• Wood Chips or Chunks
• Foil

The Ingredients

• Pork Loin
• Potatoes
• Butter
• Spice Rub
• Salt and Pepper

Smoked Pork Loin Method

The first thing gets the grill going. It can be a regular charcoal grill, a full-size smoker, though it might be a bit overkill for this application, or even a pellet smoker, which might be a bit much too. My favorite way to light the grill is with a chimney starter. There’s no messy lighter fluid flavor this way. I still use a classic Weber for my smoker. It’s what I have had the most success with.

While the charcoal is getting ready, it’s time to get the pork and potatoes ready. For the pork, use your favorite spice rub. I’ve used quite a few spice rubs over the years, and my favorite is called The Dalmatian. It’s 50/50 salt and pepper. I’ve found that anything complicated gets lost in the smoker when the final product comes off the smoker. Generously apply the spice rub to the pork, making sure everything is covered.

The potatoes will get a similar treatment. Season them with salt and pepper. and wrap in foil with a few generous pieces of butter. The foil will still allow smoke to pass through, but you can punch some holes with a fork if you want.

The charcoal should be ready by now. All you will need is a small fire to get the grill temp between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. No matter which grill you use, you’ll want to use indirect heat. That just means the fire is on one side and the meat is on the other. The meat will be ready once the internal temp is between 140 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before you cut into it. The potatoes will be ready at the same time as the pork. Mine was on the grill for about an hour.

Serving the Smoked Pork Loin

Feel free to use any barbecue sauce you want to with this. It will lend itself well to whichever you choose. For the potatoes, I went classic baked potato, with butter and cheese and green onions.

Happy eating!