Szechuan Pepper Smoked Pork Loin
This recipe harnesses the unique numbing tingle of Szechuan pepper to give a tender pork loin an extraordinary flavor dimension. An intense spice crust of Szechuan pepper, chili and toasted sesame caramelizes during smoking into a dark red, aromatic shell. The combination of beech and cherry wood provides a balanced smoke flavor that elegantly frames the heat.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Toasting and preparing the pepper mix
20 minutesToast Szechuan pepper in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool and grind coarsely. Mix with chili flakes, sesame, salt, garlic powder and sugar into a uniform blend.
Applying crust and resting
4-8 hoursTrim the pork loin of sinew and coat evenly with mustard. Press the pepper crust generously onto all sides. Rest covered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Smoking
3-5 hoursPreheat the smoker to 110-120 °C and prepare beech and cherry wood chips. Place the meat in the smoker and smoke at a constant temperature. Since this is a pork loin, a core temperature of 63-68 °C is sufficient – do not over-smoke.
Resting and Slicing
10 minutesRemove the meat from the smoker once the core temperature is reached and rest for 10 minutes in aluminum foil. Slice against the grain and serve with an Asian cucumber salad or jasmine rice.
Pro Tip
Toast the Szechuan pepper briefly in a dry pan until fragrant before grinding – this significantly intensifies the characteristic aroma and the tingling sensation on the tongue.
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