
Swine and the Vine
American BBQ-Inspired Smoked Pork Loin with Grape-Spice Glaze
1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerAmericanGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-freeLow Sodium
Herb's take
Ever wondered if your pork loin could hang out with grapes and not feel out of place at a backyard BBQ? This dish fuses smoke, sweet fruit, and tangy heat for a real Southern-style flavor experiment.
Equipment needed
- smoker or charcoal/gas grill
- immersion blender or blender
- fine-mesh sieve
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Preheat your grill or smoker to 275°F for indirect heat, adding wood chips if desired.
- 02Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels. Combine 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Rub mixture all over pork loin.
- 03Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the pork and rub again to help the spices stick.
- 04Place pork loin on grill or smoker, away from direct heat. Close lid and cook for about 1 hour, turning once halfway through.
- 05While pork cooks, make the grape glaze: In a saucepan, combine grapes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, remaining 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- 06Simmer glaze for 15 minutes, smashing grapes with a spoon as they soften.
- 07Blend the mixture carefully with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth. Return to pan and simmer another 10 minutes, stirring often, until syrupy.
- 08Strain glaze through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract all the liquid. Discard solids.
- 09After about 1 hour of smoking, brush the pork loin generously with grape glaze. Repeat glazing every 10 minutes for the last 30 minutes of cooking, until pork reaches 145°F internal temperature.
- 10Remove pork from grill, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- 11Slice pork thickly and serve with extra grape glaze on the side.
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