Braided Smoked Pork Loin

From Diva Q’s on Thermoworks (with tweaks):

• Modified to fit a large pork loin.
• Added Sugar and Cayenne and made other tweaks to the rub.

INGREDIENTS:

• Boneless pork loin, 8–9 lb
  • You will lose about 1 lb of fat and silverskin and about 1 lb of red meat.
  • You an cut the red meat into stir fry meat.
• 4 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 4 teaspoons dried)
• 4 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 4 teaspoons dried)
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
• 4 Tablespoon finely chopped or prepared garlic (or 4 teaspoons of garlic powder)
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • about 2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper
  • There is a lot of salt in the bacon.
• Zest from two medium lemons
• Juice from two medium lemons
• 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil or clarified butter.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (JRP)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (JRP)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (JRP)
• 2 lb regular-cut (not thick-cut) bacon
  • About 20 slices.
  • Sam’s 10 lb. restaurant style works well.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Make the herb rub by combining the herbs, garlic, zest, mustard, salt, and oil. Whisk together into a loose paste, adjusting consistency by adding more oil if needed, or more mustard or herbs if too thin.
   • I would put the dry ingredients under the bacon and the wet & zest on the outside.
3. Cut any silver skin from the loin with a sharp knife.
4. Also using a sharp knife, cut about 1″ in from the edge of the meat down the length of the pork loin, starting about 2″ from one end, all the way to the other end. Make an identical cut 1″ from the other edge.
5. Wrap each of the three legs you’ve just created in bacon. Also, wrap the 2″ chunk at the connecting end in bacon.
6. Braid the loin by crossing the right leg over the center leg, then the left leg over the center, then the right leg again, etc.
7. Tie the loin together with string.
8. Rub the braided loin with the herb marinade. Stuff it into cracks and crannies. Don’t skimp.
9. Smoke using fruitwood at 225 degrees for 1 hour (for deep smoke flavor).
10. Increase the smoker to 350°F. (May take 30 minutes to get to temp).
11. Smoke for a about another hour until the temperature reaches 145°F.
    • Total cook time takes between 2 and 2.5 hours.
12. Remove from heat and allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.