Traditional holiday dinners are delicious, but sometimes you want a change of pace. My Pork Loin Roast is a frugal yet fancy alternative to turkey. This fabulous cut of meat is seasoned with my award-winning Beef Rub and topped with an orange-infused glaze. The flavors of this pork loin are perfect for winter holidays, but you can enjoy it all year.
Loin is a versatile cut you can cook on the pit or in your oven. Either way, you’ll have Thanksgiving dinner with a BBQ-style twist. This is a meal you’ll be proud to serve friends and family. Don’t be surprised when they put you in charge of the main dish every year!
Pork Loin Roast on the Weber Kettle Grill
My Pork Loin Roast is a deceivingly simple holiday recipe. Our total cook time was 1 hour and 5 minutes, just right for serving hungry guests. If you’ve never made a homemade glaze, you’re in for a treat. This easy DIY comes together within minutes and tastes so much better than store-bought varieties. A little effort goes a long way in the kitchen!
The Ingredients
This fancy holiday feast requires less than ten ingredients. This time of year can be hectic, and no-fuss recipes are a lifesaver. You may already have some of these things in your pantry. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping list.
- Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce. Good things take time, including this best-selling BBQ sauce. I spent a decade tweaking this sauce to perfection, and it remains one of our most popular products. We use it on everything from ribs to baked beans. You’ll want to keep a bottle on hand at all times.
- Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub. My Beef Rub isn’t just for beef. It also adds mouthwatering flavor to chicken, pork, and seafood. This lively mixture of chili powder, paprika, and garlic spices up everything it touches.
- Butter. A little butter adds silky smoothness to our orange glaze. It helps the sauce caramelize and gives it that classic browned butter flavor.
- Smucker’s Orange Marmalade. This common kitchen ingredient is what gives the glaze its bright orange flavor. I always use Smucker’s because the taste is the best, but you can use whatever orange marmalade you have.
- Pork loin roast. I did a little butcher work to create our roast. The loin started as a giant pork loin but I cut the end off to make a roast. Our pork roast was about 5.5 pounds and cooked in a little over an hour. If your roast differs in size, your cooking time will vary. This cut of meat is relatively common and can be found at most local grocery stores.
- Duck fat spray. For this cook, I used duck fat spray as a binder. I usually like using mustard, but this loin called for something milder. Duck fat spray helped the seasonings stick without altering the base flavor.
The Smoker Setup
Here’s the main equipment I used for this cook. For more of my pitmaster must-haves, check out the equipment and tools section.
- Kettle Grill. I cooked this pork loin roast on the Weber Kettle Grill. This is an excellent setup for beginners as there are not a lot of bells and whistles to fiddle with. Weber produces high-quality pits that last for ages. This particular model is easy to store, making it perfect for small spaces.
- Charcoal. I stoked the Weber with Royal Oak Charcoal. This is by far the best charcoal, in my opinion. Royal Oak doesn’t use any fillers, so you get more bang for your buck. It gives the meat a rich flavor with no artificial notes.
The Process for Making Pork Loin Roast on the Weber Kettle Grill
You can find a detailed procedure for this cook in the video and the recipe card at the bottom of this post. For now, enjoy a brief overview of how I pulled this pork loin roast together.
- Fire up the grill. I stoked my grill with charcoal, then fired it up to the 375℉-400℉ range. I separated my charcoal baskets and moved one to each side of the grill.
- Trim the pork roast. I trimmed off the end of the pork loin to create a roast. Then, I removed any excess fat flaps and gristle. I left the fat cap on and scored it to render down when cooking. I like to save my bits and pieces to grind with other meat for burgers.
- Add binder and seasoning. I placed the trimmed roast on a sheet pan, sprayed it with duck fat spray, and then added a good layer of my Beef Rub. I flipped the pork and repeated the process on the other side. Start cooking. I laid the pork roast fat side down on the grill between the charcoal baskets.
- It’s crucial that you do not cook the meat over direct heat. I let it go for 45 minutes, then made my glaze.
- Create the Glaze. I placed the butter, ⅔ cup Sweet BBQ Sauce, and two tablespoons of Smucker’s orange marmalade in a small cast iron pot. I placed it on the grill for about 10 minutes.
- Baste. Once the pork loin roast hit 130℉, I basted it with the glaze. I turned the meat to ensure every side was basted. I let the glaze sear until the loin hit 147℉ internally.
- Rest and serve. I removed the pork loin roast from the pit and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
The Results
The pork loin roast came gorgeously caramelized and fragrant off the grill. It was juicy, tender, and infused with citrus notes. The natural flavor of the meat came through the seasonings. This main dish is simple yet fancy enough to grace any holiday table.
Serving Suggestions for Pork Loin Roast
If you’re just feeding yourself, this roast is excellent on its own. However, holidays call for something extra. Try one of these crowd-pleasing side dishes. You’ll be the talk of the town!
I recommend serving this unconventional Thanksgiving main with traditional side dishes. Some of my favorites are my Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, and Maple Butter Carrots. These delicious recipes are cooked on the pit and can be found in my Thanksgiving roundup.
Storing Pork Loin Roast
If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months. If freezing, your flavor should remain the same, but the texture of the glaze may be a little different.
Equipment and Tools
Weber Kettle Grill ,Royal Oak Charcoal, paper towels, cutting board, high-temp silicone tools, metal tongs, charcoal basket holders, small cast-iron pot, instant-read meat thermometer, YETI Tundra 65 Hard Cooler , insulated gloves for handling meat.
