Orange-Glazed Pork Loin

This pork loin roast gets the full outdoor treatment: slow-grilled over indirect heat on a kettle grill with mesquite chips for smoke, then glazed during the last 20 minutes with a concentrated orange and brown sugar sauce. The combination of smoky mesquite and sweet citrus creates a flavor that oven roasting simply can’t match.

The orange glaze starts with frozen orange juice concentrate, not fresh juice. Concentrate is already reduced, so it packs more intense citrus flavor per tablespoon. Melted into butter and brown sugar, it becomes a sticky, caramel-like baste that lacquers the pork as it finishes cooking.

The serving sauce is built from the same base. Cornstarch thickened with water goes into the remaining orange mixture and cooks until glossy, then halved green grapes get stirred in at the end. The grapes burst with cool, sweet juice against the warm, smoky pork, and they look beautiful on the plate.

Chef Tips

• Score the fat cap at 1-inch intervals. This lets the heat and smoke penetrate the roast and prevents the fat from buckling as it renders.
• Use indirect heat the entire time. The roast sits over a drip pan, not over coals. Direct heat at this temperature scorches the outside before the center cooks.
• Add mesquite chips sparingly. Mesquite smoke is intense. A small handful is enough. Too much and the pork tastes acrid.
• Pull at 170°F (77°C) internal temperature and let it rest 15 minutes before slicing. The temperature will coast up a few degrees while resting.

Variations

• Oven method: Roast at 350°F (175°C) on a rack in a baking dish. Same timing, same glaze, just without the smoke.
• Cranberry-orange glaze: Add ¼ cup whole cranberry sauce to the orange mixture for a tarter, more holiday-appropriate version.