BACON WRAPPED PORK LOIN

Pork Loin is a great option when cooking for a crowd. Add a layer of bacon, and you REALLY have something special to serve. This recipe is quick and certain to impress a crowd at your next Backyard Event.

Shopping

Purchase a boneless pork loin. If you are purchasing at a typical grocery store, you will find loins that weigh around 4 or 5 lbs. Be sure and not purchase a Pork Tenderloin. While this is a good cut of meat, it’s smaller and leaner than the regular loin, and the recipe below will have to be modified.

Prep

First, prep the loin. As this is a lean piece of meat, I typically don’t trim that much fat. I do, however, like to inject some apple juice into the meat. This is necessary, but it does add some flavor and help with moisture retention. Make sure you inject with the grain of the meat (long ways) and pull out the needle as you depress it.

The next step is prepping the bacon weave. Start by laying out the vertical strips of bacon the same width as your pork loin. After the vertical strips are in place, alternate horizontal strips going over and under the vertical slices.

Trim the horizontal slices to the appropriate length. Depending on the size of your loin, your trim pieces can then be used to finish the weave. Last, apply some Classic Cruiser to the bacon.

Next, place the loin at the end of the weave, warp in the bacon, and secure with toothpicks.

After a final seasoning, you are ready for the cook.

Cooking

I start by placing the loin in a small foil pan and adding a small amount of juice to the bottom of the pan. While the pan is not necessary, it does help when we wrap the loin at the halfway point in the cook. (No pan means you have to wrap a loin full of toothpicks. This can be a difficult task.)

The loin goes on the pit at a temp of 275 degrees and needs a cooking time of around 2 hours. At the halfway point, I will add some additional apple juice and place foil over the top. This help the loin stay moist.

The pork needs to cook to an internal temp of 145 degrees.

In order to keep the bacon attached to the loin, slice with a sharp knife. A few hits on the Warthog V-Sharp Extreme will ensure that you make a clean cut. Piece should be between 1/4in. and 1/2in. thick.

Suggested Servings

BBQ: Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin with Pedal to the Metal
Beer: Dogfish Head – Midas Touch
Music: Walt Wilkins – “Trains I Missed”