This isn't the happiest of posts, but I fall on the sword to warn you all away from a specific recipe that sounded great, but did NOT work... At all.
Last night I made this smoked pork loin recipe from Meat Church. Seems like it would be super flavorful. Marinated a store-bought pork loin in the bag for about 5+ hours (they recommend ~4, so I figured I was good). It's marinated in orange, lemon, and lime juice, so there should be a ton of citrus / acid hit. It also includes onion, garlic, and spices. So there should be plenty there. Then after marinade it's pretty heavily doused with lemon pepper seasoning, and put on the smoker.
I have no idea how it would be possible for something with THAT recipe to come out basically tasteless, but it did. It didn't seem that the marinade flavor came through at all. Got a tiny amount of lemon pepper. But it being pork loin, sliced, the surface area around the edges where the little bit of flavor existed simply didn't have enough to match the size of the piece of meat. And the recipe called for cooking it JUST on the smoker, but it didn't get any color despite my smoker running a constant 240 degrees, so at about 125* IT I pulled it off and seared it in a pan with olive oil, then finished it in the oven.
I know with any new recipe, there's a question of whether to blame the recipe, or whether to blame the cook. And believe me, I've had some times where I know it was my execution getting in the way. But I don't think this was one of them. I think it was just a weak recipe.
It *might* do a little better on a smaller and more flavorful piece of pork like a tenderloin, with a smaller cross-section than a loin. Or it *might* be something that could be modified and pivoted to cook with shoulder in a slow cooker, where the meat would be shredded and allow some of that flavor in the marinade to permeate everything. But this? It just didn't work at all.
Last night I made this smoked pork loin recipe from Meat Church. Seems like it would be super flavorful. Marinated a store-bought pork loin in the bag for about 5+ hours (they recommend ~4, so I figured I was good). It's marinated in orange, lemon, and lime juice, so there should be a ton of citrus / acid hit. It also includes onion, garlic, and spices. So there should be plenty there. Then after marinade it's pretty heavily doused with lemon pepper seasoning, and put on the smoker.
I have no idea how it would be possible for something with THAT recipe to come out basically tasteless, but it did. It didn't seem that the marinade flavor came through at all. Got a tiny amount of lemon pepper. But it being pork loin, sliced, the surface area around the edges where the little bit of flavor existed simply didn't have enough to match the size of the piece of meat. And the recipe called for cooking it JUST on the smoker, but it didn't get any color despite my smoker running a constant 240 degrees, so at about 125* IT I pulled it off and seared it in a pan with olive oil, then finished it in the oven.
I know with any new recipe, there's a question of whether to blame the recipe, or whether to blame the cook. And believe me, I've had some times where I know it was my execution getting in the way. But I don't think this was one of them. I think it was just a weak recipe.
It *might* do a little better on a smaller and more flavorful piece of pork like a tenderloin, with a smaller cross-section than a loin. Or it *might* be something that could be modified and pivoted to cook with shoulder in a slow cooker, where the meat would be shredded and allow some of that flavor in the marinade to permeate everything. But this? It just didn't work at all.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
), added fresh onions and beer and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Now, they are on the stove, simmering in my homemade kraut!
