Boneless pork loin is tough to cook. Modern pork is bred to be very lean*, and pork loin was a lean cut to begin with, even before it became "modern pork".
*Cooking shows have renamed pork to "Modern pork is bred to be very lean". Just watch - the next time it's mentioned, you'll hear those exact words. I don't think this is what the "other white meat" people were looking for, exactly.
Because it's so lean, it goes from cooked to overcooked in a flash. Also, since fat carries flavor, it doesn't have a whole lot of flavor on its own.
What can you do about this? That's what I'm here to tell you. In this recipe I pull out all the stops: this roast loin is brined, rubbed, cooked on the rotisserie to give it a nice, brown crust, and then glazed with maple syrup at the last minute. In the end, you get pork that is sweet, spicy, juicy, and flavored all the way through.
Recipe: Rotisserie Boneless Pork Loin Roasts, Brined, Rubbed and Maple Syrup Glazed
Equipment
- Grill with Rotisserie attachment (I use a Weber Summit with an infrared rotisserie burner. Here is the current version of my grill.)
- Aluminum foil drip pan (9“x13”, or whatever fits your grill. I use an enameled steel roasting pan.)
- Butchers twine
- Instant Read Thermometer
- One bunch thyme and a couple of sprigs of rosemary, tied at the stems to use as a basting brush (or, just a regular basting brush
)
)
Rotisserie Boneless Pork Loin Roasts, Brined, Rubbed and Maple Syrup Glazed
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 8-12 1x
Description
Rotisserie pork loin, brined and glazed with maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 (2 pound) boneless pork loin roasts (aim for the thickest roasts you can find, and try to get them roughly the same length)
Brine
- 2 quarts water
- ½ cup table salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Rub
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, whole
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, whole
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Glaze
- ¼ cup maple syrup, (preferably "Grade B" maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon reserved rub
Instructions
- Brine the pork roasts: Stir the brine ingredients in a large container until dissolved. Add the pork loins and refrigerate for 3 to 8 hours.
- Prepare the grill: A half hour before cooking, prepare your rotisserie for cooking on indirect high heat (450°F+). For my Weber kettle, I light a chimney starter full of charcoal, wait for it to be covered with ash, then pour it in two equal piles on the sides of the grill, and put the drip pan in the middle, between the piles.
- Make the rub and glaze: While the grill is heating, crush the whole seed ingredients into a coarse grind, then stir in the other rub ingredients. (I do this using a mortar and pestle - or using a coffee cup and a spice jar as the mortar and pestle,). Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Truss and spit the pork roasts: Remove the pork loins from the brine, and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Score the fat on the top of the roasts in a 1" diamond pattern with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut into the meat. Cut a slit through the side of the roasts, until it just reaches the far side, but don't cut all the way through - you want to open the roast up like a book. Sprinkle the roasts evenly with the rub, patting to help it stick to the meat. Close the cuts back up, then put the roasts back to back, with the fat sides facing out. Truss the two roasts together, making one big roast, spacing each tie about 1 inch apart. Finally, run the spit between the two tied roasts, making sure the prongs on the spit go into the roasts.
- Rotisserie the pork: Put the spit on the grill, and turn on the rotisserie motor. Cook with the lid closed. It should take 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the thickness of the pork roasts. 2 (2 pound) roasts should be done in about 1 hour. It's better to go by temperature, though - you want the thickest part of the roast to measure 145°F for medium (or 135°F for medium-rare plus, with just a hint of pink). Start checking the temperature at the 30 minute mark. When you check the temperature at 30 minutes, brush the roast with the maple syrup glaze, and then brush it every 10 minutes after that.
- Rest, carve and serve: Remove the spit from the grill, remove the roasts from the spit, and remove the trussing twine from the roasts. Brush the roasts once more with the maple syrup glaze, then let them rest for 15 minutes. Carve into ½" thick slices and serve.
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Rotisserie
- Cuisine: American
Notes
- This next note gets into the details bacteria in pork. If you're squeamish about that kind of thing, you may want to skip down to the credits, below. 3 Cooking pork to medium is almost a requirement for this recipe; that's why I recommend only cooking it to a maximum of 145°F. Modern Pork is trichinosis free*.4 Why? Because trichinosis comes from the feed of the pigs (um...well, basically they have to eat garbage to get it. See the link above, if you want all the squeamish details.) If you buy your pork from a grocery store, you're not going to get trichinosis. If you insist on cooking your pork to well done, use a cut of Pork Shoulder (aka Boston Butt Roast), and the recipe I link to below instead. Pork shoulder has the internal fat to stand up to being cooked well done without turning into sawdust.
- Oh, and by cooking to 145°F, with a three minute rest, the carry-over cooking from the heat in the meat will take it over the point where the USDA says that trichinosis is definitely dead.
Questions?
Comments? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Click here for my Rotisserie Pork Shoulder Roast recipe
Click here for my other rotisserie recipes.
Inspired by:
I got the idea for tying the pork loins together to make a thicker roast from Weber's Way to Grill cookbook:
 Check out my cookbook, Rotisserie Grilling. |
Everything you could ask about the rotisserie,
plus 50 (mostly) new recipes to get you cooking.
It's a Kindle e-book, so you can download it and start reading immediately!
*Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner using the RSS or Email options on the right, link to this post from your blog, recommend DadCooksDinner to your friends, or buy something from Amazon.com
through the links on this site. (Like my Rotisserie Grilling cookbook...)
Benjamin Kersey says
Just made this. Almost 9 years after you posted. Still delicious. Loved it!
★★★★★
Mike Vrobel says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Luke says
I rarely comment on recipes I see online. This was a big winner. I pulled it off the rotisserie at 140F despite my probe calling for 160F and it was perfect. Doing it again, I would have used ground fennel instead of whole seed. I also found the lemon zest to be a pain with the rub, and squirted lemon juice inside instead. Overall, it wasn't as brown outside as pictured, but it was juicy, and the best pork I've ever done. The brine was a must. I doubled that recipe and left it in the fridge for 7 hours.
Could have used more clarity on where to put the rub. I put it on the inside of each of the 2lb roasts, which worked well. I doubled the recipe for the glaze, and ended up using all of it.
Thanks for sharing! We had a fabulous family dinner thanks to this. Will definitely do this again.
★★★★★
Ginny says
This was the best and easiest pork roast I have ever cooked. Even my son who is a picky eater took half of it home. The thing I did different was I left out the fennel and substituted Penzy Jamacian spice. Maple glaze is outstanding.
★★★★★
sam says
Great work, this was a delicious success!
★★★★★
Wayne Rash says
I have the same Weber Summit grill you have. How do you adjust the cooking to make use of the infrared heat on the rear of the cook box?
Mike Vrobel says
Use the grill setup described in this recipe: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/rotisserie-boneless-pork-loin-with-apricot-glaze/
Di Detloff says
This is THE bomb, what a success, surprise to my pallet and many others.
Thank you for this awesome recipe
★★★★★
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Ellie Kae says
I found this recipe (and discovered your blog) years ago, looking for "Pork Loin" and "Rotisserie" after having purchased a OneGrill rotisserie kit for my CharBroil gas grill (floor model, clearance price!) My family loves this recipe, and it's the only time we ever use Fennel or Coriander... in fact, it's the only way we actually like those two seasonings!
[ By the way, awhile back I discovered dried Maple sugar which is easy to re-hydrate for the glaze AND include in the rub, and ensures I always have Maple on hand! It's economical, has a long shelf-life, and doesn't require refrigeration... I can't always get right out to the Cuyahoga Valley Farmers' Market for local Maple syrup, which - in the larger sizes - is the best deal around. ]
Anyway, thank you Mike, for all of the great recipes and tips over the years!
p.s. - I've been thinking about trying an Instant Pot, so I know where I'll be coming to for ideas!
★★★★★
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome, and thanks!
James s says
BEAUTIFUL. Thanks have done a couple of times now on the Weber. Just wondering if it will Work with skin on the pork? Love crackle but that glaze. Would love your thoughts from Sydney Australia
Mike Vrobel says
I think you want something like this: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/rotisserie-leg-of-pork-roast-with-injection-brine-and-herb-rub/
Steve Sobczyk says
I'm trying this tomorrow debating on using the Weber Kettle or Weber Summit any preference. If I happen to use the Summit how long to leave the infrared burner on. 4 pound roast.
Mike Vrobel says
The answer? "It depends". 🙂
Leave the IR burner until they are browning well. I'd guess 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it.
Michelle says
I have struggled with making pork that is not dry. Frankly, this was my last shot, really. This pork was amazingly juicy. I'm thinking the brining made the difference. I thought I would have leftovers but it was so delicious that there were none!! Love your blog for your recipes...I love to grill and love my Instant Pot. Thank you!!!!
★★★★★
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Dawn says
Was very excited to try this recipe, my meat is in brine now but unfortunately my BBQ is on blink and was wondering if I could sear the roast first then cook in oven? Any helpful hints would be appreciated
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, that will work fine. Sear the roasts, then move to a 350°F oven until the roasts reach 145°F internal temperature in the thickest part. (I think about an hour? But it all depends on your oven. Go by internal temp instead of time for best results.) Brush with glaze for the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking.
Kirsten says
Mike...FANTASTIC RECIPE!!! Cooked this for dinner tonight. 3lb loin in the brine for 5hrs (added dried ancho pepper to the brine to give it a little kick). Cooked loin over rotisserie for 65 minutes. Sooooooo good!!! The outer crust was beautiful! Then the yummy tangy syrupy glaze gave it such nice depth. Cut it in thin slices and served to a smiling and happy family. Overall a wonderful recipe...definitely a keeper! Oh...and so easy...would be perfect for holidays.
Susan says
This is a great recipe!! It's easy and I love the flavors. I've cooked with the rotisserie and indirect grilling. Even used the rub and glaze on pork chops. Very good!!
Bob Bedard says
I have a 6.69 LB Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Roast . I Thank you for the Brining Information and would like opinions on Cooking time In a Ronco set it and forget it Rotisseri Oven . I'm thinking it will be different in this smaller oven vs the large gas grill with indirect heat ?
Thank Anyone for quick response ,
Bob
Mike V says
Heat matters more than size - if you can heat your rotisserie to 450°F it will take about the same time. To be sure, go by temperature using a meat thermometer. It's done when it reaches the temp specified in the recipe.
Sonomajill says
wE have a Santa Maria Style open grill, so we pushed the coals to the front and back, put the drip pan down the middle and made a foil "cover" over the rotisserie, worked like a charm! terrific recipe, great flavor and a beautyful golden brown, thanks for the inspiration!