how to grill a boneless pork loin?

I bought a 4 lb. center cut boneless pork loin that's tied up w/ butcher string every 2-3 inches. Do I need to cut the string before rubbing and/or grilling? Is indirect grilling w/ a drip pan underneath the way to go? How long to grill or what internal temp should it reach? We'll be using a standard Weber grill and charcoal.

Indirect grilling is the way to go, just the way you describe it: drip pan in the middle and coals on the side. Use some Apple or Cherry wood chips or lumps if you have them. Get the grill up to roasting temperature cook it for the same amount of time you would in an oven. What diameter is the loin? That has a big impact on the cooking time, but I would expect it will take 1 to 1.5 hours.

The string won't burn if you indirect grill it, and I've found most string holds up to direct grilling if you move the meat around. I like to untie loins to apply the rub and then retie it before cooking, but you can just apply the rub to the outside without untying it.

I take loins off the fire at about 135-40, definitely before 145-50.

I've done a number of boneless pork tenderloins on the Weber pretty much as described by Attrill. I think 1.5+ is more the time for that size.

You know, I think there is a difference between a "pork tenderloin" and a "pork loin roast." I may be confused here and I hope someone who really knows will post definitively but...

A pork tenderloin is a fairly long (maybe one foot long or so) piece of meat that tapers to a thin end. Their weight varies but can be around 3/4 pounds each.

When I grill those, I like to use a recipe from Everyday Food:
In a blender, put one or two stemmed seeded jalepeno peppers, 4 peeled cloves of garlic, a teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teasp salt, 1/2 teasp coriander, 1/4 teasp pepper, 1/4 teasp ground cumin with 1/4 cup canola oil. Blend to make a smooth paste. Rub or spread the paste all over the tenderloin. It can go right on to an oiled grill that has been heated to med-high or high. These do not take very long at all, maybe eight to ten minutes per side, turning once. Take the internal temp and pull it off before 155 degrees. Let rest then slice thin. Our little family LOVES this. It is always juicy and tender with a very flavoful crust and the leftovers are very versatile.

On the other hand, a "pork loin roast" for me has always looked like the fat ends of two tenderloins tied together. Is this right? The roasts are thick which I think accounts for longer cooking times. But I find it difficult to believe grilling time as long as an hour or an hour and a half.

Then, at Fresh Farms yesterday I saw something labeled "pork loin roast" that was a solid piece, not two pieces tied together. What's up with that? Is the true pork loin roast a solid piece and not the tied roasts of two tenderloins? Or am I completely overthinking this? Thanks for any help!

Joy wrote:Then, at Fresh Farms yesterday I saw something labeled "pork loin roast" that was a solid piece, not two pieces tied together. What's up with that? Is the true pork loin roast a solid piece and not the tied roasts of two tenderloins?

Every pork loin roast I've ever cooked is as you describe above. There is a difference between loin roast and tenderloin. They are two different cuts of meat, the tenderloin being the thin tapered shape; usually much leaner than the loin roast. I generally stay away from tenderloin for grilling purposes.

stevez wrote:

Joy wrote:Then, at Fresh Farms yesterday I saw something labeled "pork loin roast" that was a solid piece, not two pieces tied together. What's up with that? Is the true pork loin roast a solid piece and not the tied roasts of two tenderloins?

Every pork loin roast I've ever cooked is as you describe above. There is a difference between loin roast and tenderloin. They are two different cuts of meat, the tenderloin being the thin tapered shape; usually much leaner than the loin roast. I generally stay away from tenderloin for grilling purposes.

Joy,
Perhaps what you saw is a bone-in pork loin roast? The tied together loin roast is not two tenderloins, I believe, but rather a boned roast tied together after boning.

I believe, and I may be wrong here, that pork loin : pork tenderloin :: ny strip : filet

that is, it's the same set of muscles as the short loin of a cow, and pork tenderloin is the same muscle as beef tenderloin.

gleam wrote:I believe, and I may be wrong here, that pork loin : pork tenderloin :: ny strip : filet

that is, it's the same set of muscles as the short loin of a cow, and pork tenderloin is the same muscle as beef tenderloin.

Ed,

A whole boneless loin of pork is taken from the shoulder all the way to the ham end of the pig. So boneless pork loin = blade + rib + sirloin (trimmed of fat, bones, cartilage, etc...). The tenderloin comes from the opposite side of the t-bone only (sirloin, or short loin). The shoulder and rib sections do not have any tenderloin attached.

Evil Ronnie