Hickory BBQ Pork Loin

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless pork loin roast
  • Hickory chips

Brine

  • 1 cup salt
  • ¾ cup honey
  • 1 tbsp cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 cups very hot apple cider vinegar
  • 2 pounds ice

Rub

  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 heaping tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp cracked-black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 2 tbsp dried thyme
Hickory BBQ Pork Loin

Photo: Pannet / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0

Procedure

  1. Combine all brine ingredients in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Add pork roast and brine in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
  2. Remove pork from brine. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
  3. Combine rub ingredients. Massage into pork and refrigerate overnight.
  4. The next day, place a roasting rack into a large roasting pan with a good amount of hickory chips in it. Insert a probe thermometer into the roast and bake at 200°F until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
  5. Move to a plate and let rest uncovered 5 minutes. Serve thickly sliced.