Smoked Maple Rosemary Pork Loin

Pork Tenderloin

For Brine:

4 Cups Warm Water

1 Cup Ice

1/4 Cup Kosher Salt

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

4 Sprigs Rosemary, Bruised with Back of Knife

1/8 Cup Garlic Powder

1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Wood Chips for Smoking

4 Sprigs Rosemary

3 Shallots, Chopped

1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

1/8 Cup Grapeseed or Other Neutral Oil

Alright, back to form, this is a LONG cooking dish. Three days, if done right! Fear not, friends.  Most of the work is done by Father Time.  You get to sit back, and, if you have the patience, eat something that will blow you away.

Start by combining all brine ingredients, except ice. Mix to incorporate salt and sugar, then add ice to cool. Add tenderloin, and allow to brine at least 8 hours, better if longer, up to 24 hours.

Remove pork from brine, rinse, and pat dry. Smoke at 250F for 1.5 hours. I used a combination of hickory and cherry woods.

Place smoked pork, shallots, rosemary, maple syrup, and oil in aluminum foil, wrap, and cook for 1 hour in a 350F oven. At this point, you can allow it to cool and place overnight in refrigerator. This will allow smoke and maple/rosemary flavors to penetrate into the loin. It's an optional step, but it's worth it! (Proceed straight to glaze if step skipped)

Return wrapped pork to 350F oven and heat for 30 minutes. Then, open foil, glaze the top of the pork with juices, and allow to cook for about another 15 minutes, until a rich, deep glaze develops. Slice at a 45 degree angle, spoon over a little of the leftover juices, and serve.

I realize this takes a lot of time. It doesn't take too much work, though, and, to be frank, it's one of the tastiest things I've ever cooked.