Go Back
Chops from a spice-glazed grilled pork loin on a cutting board with a glass of stout.
Print Recipe
4.86 / 7 votes

Spice-Glazed Grilled Pork Loin

This grilled pork loin roast creates the best, most tender pork chops ever. The pork loin takes a dunk in a marinade or brine made with garlic, cumin, and paprika and then is grilled and sliced into chops. Here's how to cook juicy pork chops every time.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time15 hours 30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 573

Ingredients

For the brine

  • 5 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt
  • 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped sweet white onion
  • 10 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 bunch rosemary
  • 6 cups cold water

For the grilled pork loin

  • Two (2 1/2-pound) pork loin*, preferably boneless
  • Canola oil or vegetable oil

For the spice glaze

  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives

For the finishing sauce (optional)

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • Sea or kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Grated lemon zest
  • Chopped chives
US - Metric

Instructions

Brine the pork

  • Combine all the brine ingredients except the pork loin and oil in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Mix and mash the ingredients with your hands. Dump half the brine into a second bowl or plastic bag.
  • If desired, score the fatty side of your pork loin at 1/4-inch intervals, making 1/4-inch deep cuts in a crosshatch pattern to increase the surface area of the meat. This helps the brine penetrate more readily.
  • Place a pork loin in each bowl or bag of brine and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

Make the spice glaze

  • Combine all the spice glaze ingredients in another resealable plastic bag.

Grill the pork loin

  • Prepare a grill for indirect cooking and bring it to 325°F (162° C).
  • Drain the pork loin, discarding the brine. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the meat with just enough oil to make it glisten.
  • Carefully oil the preheated grill rack using a paper towel lightly dabbed with oil and long-handled tongs. Place the loin on the well-oiled rack, fatty side up. Close the grill lid and cook, covered, for 45 minutes.
  • Move the pork loin to a plate. Cut off a bottom corner of the plastic bag of glaze and drizzle the glaze over the pork, turning it to completely coat it.
  • Return the loin to the grill and cook until it registers 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer, an additional 45 minutes or so. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Make the finishing sauce (optional)

  • Combine the finishing sauce ingredients on a clean cutting board.

Devour

  • Slice the rested pork loin, place it on the finishing sauce, if using, and turn to coat each slice. Serve immediately, preferably with a cold beer.

Notes

*What's the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin?

Pork loin is a bigger and flatter cut of meat that is mild flavored and has a little bit of fat to it, making it taste "meatier". It isn't a particularly tough cut so it doesn't need a low, slow braise. Compared to a tenderloin, which is smaller, leaner, and cooks quickly, the loin takes well to a quick sear followed by some time in the oven. The fattiness in a pork loin also makes it the perfect candidate for grilling, whereas a tenderloin will often dry out on the barbecue. Pork loin is also priced better, which makes it one of our faves.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 524mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g