Applewood-Smoked Pork Loin with Apple-Mustard Pan Sauce

Steps

1. Step 1

   Make the brine: in a large pot or bowl, stir the apple cider, cold water, kosher salt and brown sugar until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns. The brine must be cold before the pork goes in; if the cider was at room temperature, chill it or add a few ice cubes.

   10 min

   • 4 cups apple cider
   • 4 cups cold water
   • 1/2 cup kosher salt
   • 1/4 cup brown sugar
   • 2 bay leaves
   • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
2. Step 2

   Put the pork loin in the brine (a large zip-top bag set in a bowl works well), making sure it is fully submerged. Refrigerate 4 hours.

   4 hr, hands-off

   • 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 4 lb)
3. Step 3

   Lift the pork out of the brine, rinse it under cold water and pat it very dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Let the pork sit at room temperature while the smoker heats.

   10 min

   • 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 4 lb)
4. Step 4

   Heat the smoker to 250°F with apple wood chunks (or soaked chips in a smoker box). You want a steady, thin stream of smoke, not thick white billows.

   20 min, hands-off · 250°F

   • 3–4 apple wood chunks or 3 cups apple wood chips
5. Step 5

   Rub the pork all over with the olive oil. Mix the sage, thyme, black pepper, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl, then pat the mixture evenly over the whole roast.

   5 min

   • 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 4 lb)
   • 2 tbsp olive oil
   • 1 tbsp dried sage
   • 2 tsp dried thyme
   • 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
   • 1 tsp garlic powder
   • 1 tsp kosher salt
6. Step 6

   Set the loin fat side up on the smoker grate. Smoke at 250°F until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 145°F, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours for a 4 lb loin. Start checking at 1 1/2 hours; the thermometer, not the clock, tells you when it's done.

   2 hr 30 min, hands-off · 250°F

   • 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 4 lb)
7. Step 7

   Move the pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and rest 15 minutes. Make the sauce while it rests.

   15 min, hands-off

8. Step 8

   Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple wedges and shallot and cook, stirring now and then, until the apples are browned at the edges and just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

   6 min

   • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
   • 2 firm apples such as Honeycrisp or Gala
   • 1 shallot
9. Step 9

   Pour in the apple cider and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until reduced by about half, 6 to 8 minutes.

   8 min

   • 1 cup apple cider
   • 1/2 cup chicken broth
10. Step 10

    Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the whole-grain mustard and heavy cream and simmer until the sauce lightly coats a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cider vinegar and any juices from the resting board, then season with salt and pepper.

    4 min

    • 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1 tsp cider vinegar
    • salt and black pepper
11. Step 11

    Slice the pork across the grain about 1/2 inch thick; it should be faintly pink inside. Spoon the apples and sauce over the slices.

    5 min

    • 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 4 lb)

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026