Are you looking for a delicious and easy way to cook a pork roast?
Look no further than your pellet grill!
With just a few simple steps, you can have a perfectly cooked and flavorful pork roast that will impress your family and friends.
Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or a beginner, this guide will walk you through the process of preparing and smoking a pork roast on your pellet grill.
So grab your favorite rub and let’s get started!
How To Cook A Pork Roast On A Pellet Grill?
Step 1: Preheat Your Pellet Grill
Before you start cooking, preheat your pellet grill to 180°F and let it preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke if available.
Step 2: Season The Pork Roast
Season the pork roast with your favorite rub on all sides. Make sure to coat the meat evenly for maximum flavor.
Step 3: Add Apple Juice
Place the seasoned pork roast in an aluminum foil pan and pour apple juice on top. This will help keep the meat moist and add a delicious flavor.
Step 4: Insert The Probe
Insert the probe into the thickest part of the roast. This will help you monitor the internal temperature of the meat and ensure it’s cooked to perfection.
Step 5: Smoke The Pork Roast
Place the pan on the grill grates and smoke with the lid closed for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the roast from the grill and increase the temperature to 275°F. Preheat with the lid closed for another 15 minutes.
Return the pan to the grill and cook with the lid closed for another 2 hours. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, return to the grill, close the lid, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 205°F, about 3 hours more.
Step 6: Rest And Serve
Remove the roast from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with roasted onions, potatoes, carrots, and/or apples for a complete meal.
Choosing The Right Cut Of Pork Roast
When it comes to cooking a pork roast on a pellet grill, choosing the right cut of meat is crucial. The best cuts for roasting are pork loin, belly, leg, shoulder, tenderloin, and center rib roast. These cuts have a good amount of fat that adds flavor and helps keep the meat moist while cooking.
The shoulder is a super-versatile cut that can either be minced or diced for cooking slowly in stews or slow-roasted until tender and falling apart. The fillet from the top of the shoulder is just tender enough to be cut into steaks for grilling or barbecuing. The best way to cook a shoulder is slow and low. Simply wrap it in a double layer of tin foil and cook it in the pellet grill at 150oC/300oF/gas 2 for 4 to 5 hours.
The tenderloin is one of the quickest-cooking cuts of pork and is unbeatable in tenderness. Though it lacks marbling or external fat, it can be brined or marinated before cooking to prevent it from drying out. It’s essential not to overcook the tenderloin due to its lack of marbling, as doing so will ruin its texture.
The center-cut loin roast is widely available in all supermarkets and is a great roasting choice. Make sure to buy a center-cut loin roast with a good size fat cap and a dece on top to make sure it has the best flavor and prevent it from drying out during cooking.
The boneless blade roast contains much fatter than other cuts from the shoulder part of the loin, adding more flavor. It’s not always sold in all supermarkets, so you may need to speak with your local store butcher and ask if he can special order it for you.
Lastly, the center rib roast is often called pork, the same as beef prime rib or a rack of lamb. This little mild, practically lean roast contains alone muscle with a large fat cap for protection and is cut from between the 5th and 8th ribs due to the bones (and nearby fat) still being attached. A better option roast I find to be is the center cut loin roast from the same muscle area, but the bones and fat are removed clean.
Preparing The Pork Roast For The Grill
Preparing the pork roast for the grill is an essential step in ensuring that it turns out delicious and juicy. Here’s how you can prepare your pork roast for the pellet grill:
Step 1: Remove Excess Moisture
Remove the pork roast from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. This will help remove any excess moisture and allow the rub to stick to the meat.
Step 2: Apply The Rub
Apply your favorite rub to all sides of the pork roast. Make sure to massage it in well, so it penetrates the meat and adds flavor.
Step 3: Let The Pork Roast Rest
Once you’ve applied the rub, let the pork roast rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld together and ensure that the meat cooks evenly.
Step 4: Insert The Probe
Insert the probe into the thickest part of the pork roast, making sure not to touch any bones. This will help you monitor the internal temperature of the meat and ensure that it’s cooked to perfection.
Step 5: Add Apple Juice
Place the pork roast in an aluminum foil pan and pour apple juice on top. The apple juice will help keep the meat moist and add a delicious flavor.
Step 6: Place On The Grill
Place the pan on the grill grates and smoke with the lid closed for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the roast from the grill and increase the temperature to 275°F. Preheat with the lid closed for another 15 minutes.
Step 7: Return To The Grill
Return the pan to the grill and cook with the lid closed for another 2 hours. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, return to the grill, close the lid, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 205°F, about 3 hours more.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to prepare a perfectly seasoned and moist pork roast on your pellet grill.
Setting Up Your Pellet Grill For Smoking
To set up your pellet grill for smoking, start by cleaning your grill after each use to avoid any unwanted flavors in your food. You can clean the grates by taking them off and placing them in the dishwasher or using a grill brush to clean them if you’re unable to remove them.
Next, fuel up your grill and open the hood, setting it to “smoke”. This is crucial because the grill will feed pellets for a few minutes and then stop, giving the igniter a chance to light before feeding more fuel. Check to confirm that the auger is very slowly rotating and use the control dial to turn your pellet grill to the smoke setting.
Leave the lid open until you see smoke coming up from the grill. If you don’t see smoke, return to step 3 and make sure your auger is rotating and your pellets are feeding properly. Once you see smoke, carefully place your seasoned pork roast on the smoker grates, making sure it’s in the middle of the grate for optimal cooking.
For more smoke flavor, start out as low as it will go for about 30 minutes to an hour, then turn it up to 225°F or 250°F after that to finish cooking. Remember to insert a probe into the thickest part of the roast to monitor its internal temperature and ensure it’s cooked to perfection.
Following these steps will ensure that your pellet grill is set up properly for smoking and that your pork roast comes out deliciously smoked and tender.
Smoking The Pork Roast To Perfection
Smoking a pork roast on a pellet grill can be a bit tricky, but with the right technique, you can achieve a perfectly cooked roast every time. The key to smoking a pork roast to perfection is to monitor the internal temperature of the meat and allow it to rest before slicing. Here are the steps to smoking a pork roast to perfection on a pellet grill:
Step 1: Preheat Your Pellet Grill
To start, preheat your pellet grill to 180°F and let it preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke if available.
Step 2: Season The Pork Roast
Season the pork roast with your favorite rub on all sides. Make sure to coat the meat evenly for maximum flavor.
Step 3: Add Apple Juice
Place the seasoned pork roast in an aluminum foil pan and pour apple juice on top. This will help keep the meat moist and add a delicious flavor.
Step 4: Insert The Probe
Insert the probe into the thickest part of the roast. This will help you monitor the internal temperature of the meat and ensure it’s cooked to perfection.
Step 5: Smoke The Pork Roast
Place the pan on the grill grates and smoke with the lid closed for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the roast from the grill and increase the temperature to 275°F. Preheat with the lid closed for another 15 minutes.
Return the pan to the grill and cook with the lid closed for another 2 hours. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, return to the grill, close the lid, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 205°F, about 3 hours more.
Step 6: Rest And Serve
Once your pork roast reaches an internal temperature of 205°F, remove it from the grill and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and make for a juicy and flavorful roast.
Checking The Internal Temperature Of The Pork Roast
Checking the internal temperature of the pork roast is crucial to ensure that it is safe to eat and cooked to perfection. The USDA recommends cooking fresh cuts of pork, such as pork roasts, to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C) with a three-minute rest time. To check the internal temperature of the pork roast, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, making sure it doesn’t touch bone, fat, or gristle.
During the smoking process, it’s important to monitor the internal temperature of the pork roast regularly. The temperature should be checked every hour to ensure that it’s cooking at a steady pace and not overcooking or undercooking. Once the internal temperature reaches 205°F, the pork roast is fully cooked and ready to be removed from the grill.
Remember to let the pork roast rest for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and make it more tender and juicy. By following these steps and checking the internal temperature of the pork roast, you can ensure that your pellet-grilled pork roast is safe to eat and deliciously cooked to perfection.
Resting And Serving Your Delicious Pork Roast
After the pork roast is cooked to perfection, it’s important to let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a juicy and tender roast.
To rest the pork roast, simply remove it from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Cover it loosely with aluminum foil and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Once the resting period is over, it’s time to slice and serve your delicious pork roast. Make sure to slice against the grain for maximum tenderness. You can serve it with your favorite sides, such as roasted vegetables or a salad.
Leftover pork roast can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the pork in a baking dish with a little bit of chicken broth and cover with foil. Heat in a preheated oven at 325°F until heated through.
Now that you know how to cook a pork roast on a pellet grill, you can impress your family and friends with this delicious and flavorful dish. Enjoy!
