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Recipe · Indirect · Easy

Pork loin with mustard-honey crust

A no-pretensions cook that nails it the first time. Dijon mustard, orange-blossom honey and a touch of rosemary: a golden crust that seals the juices without drying the loin.

Season:All year

Quick answer

Pork loin with a mustard-and-honey crust cooks at 180 °C indirect for an hour and fifteen minutes, to 62-63 °C internal. The glaze of Dijon mustard and orange-blossom honey is brushed on twice during the final third. Rest it for 10 minutes uncovered before slicing so it keeps its juices.

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One big step at a time, screen kept on and built-in timers.

Prep
10 min
Cook
75 min
Servings
6 servings
Temperature
180 °C

What time do you want to eat?

Pick a time and we'll tell you when to start.

  1. 11:55

    Start the prep

  2. 12:05

    Light the kamado

  3. 12:35

    Onto the kamado

  4. 14:00

    Serve

Estimate: it includes lighting and settling the kamado plus a margin for large cuts. If the recipe asks you to marinate or salt ahead, add that time.

Fire setupIndirect

Dome
180 °C
Deflector
Yes
Setup
Deflector

Temperature curve

1:47 h from lighting

Kamado domeInside the meat (probe)

Dome and internal temperature over the cook0°50°100°150°200°250°10:0020:3030:45451:256781:47180 °C66 °C int.hours from lighting
#FromPhaseDomeInternal
10:00Light the charcoalDeflector in for indirect, rise to 180 °C20 → 180 °Cno probe
20:30StabiliseLet it settle for 15 min180 °Cno probe
30:45Put the food inScored loin brushed with half the glaze180 → 160 °C8 °C
40:47CookIndirect about 50 min in total160 → 180 °C8 → 45 °C
51:25Put the food inAt 40 min brush with the reserved glaze180 → 160 °C45 °C
61:27CookBrush again 10 min before; pull at 63 °C160 → 180 °C45 → 63 °C
71:37Rest10 min uncovered so the crust stays firm180 → 100 °C63 → 66 °C
81:47Serveoffno probe

0:00 is the moment you light the charcoal. Internal temperatures are the ones the recipe gives; without a probe, go by the times. Turn these times into clock times with the planner

For this recipe

Ingredients

Servings6
  • boneless pork loin1.5 kg
  • Dijon mustard3 tbsp
  • orange-blossom honey2 tbsp
  • fresh rosemary2 sprigs
  • garlic cloves3 cloves
  • flaky salt1 tbsp
  • ground black pepper1 tsp
  • extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp

Another cut

Got a different cut? Here is how the recipe changes

For 6 people the recipe uses 1.75 kg of pork loin: indirect at 180 °C, 1 h 36 min plus 15 min rest. If the shop had something else:

  • Pork collar (neck)Buy 1.75 kg
    Fire
    Indirect · 160 °C
    Time
    2 h 55 min
    Rest
    15 min

    Light 1 h 40 min earlier

    Fattier and more forgiving. Indirect at 160 °C; it can go to 85 °C in the centre and still slices tender. 63 °C is only the safe minimum.

  • Ibérico pork presaBuy 1.75 kg (in 3 pieces)
    Fire
    Reverse sear · 115 °C
    Time
    50 min
    Rest
    15 min

    Light 45 min later

    No classic roast: reverse sear. Dome at 115 °C first, pull at 55-58 °C, sear hard and let it rise to 63 °C while resting.

  • Bone-in turkey breastBuy 2 kg
    Fire
    Indirect · 165 °C
    Time
    1 h 30 min
    Rest
    20 min

    Same lighting time

    Turkey, same indirect roast. Drop to 165 °C and pull at 74 °C in the thickest part, away from the bone. It is lean: do not overshoot.

Times are a guide, based on the How much to buy figures; follow the recipe first. Full fire plan for 6 people: Pork collar (neck), Ibérico pork presa, Bone-in turkey breast.

Allergens

  • Mustard

Dijon mustard often contains wine or wine vinegar and may contain sulphites; check the label.

Based on the recipe's ingredients. Always check the label of every product you buy.

The gear for this recipe

See reviews and prices ↓

Method

  1. 01

    Glaze

    Combine mustard, honey, finely chopped garlic and stripped rosemary. Reserve half for the last third of the cook.

  2. 02

    Score the loin

    Score the fat cap in a shallow crosshatch (do not cut into the meat). Salt, pepper and brush with half the glaze.

  3. 03

    Stabilise at 180°C

    Set the kamado for indirect with the deflector in place. Climb to 180°C and let it settle 15 min.

  4. 04

    Cook

    Cook indirect for about 50 minutes. At the 40 min mark brush with the reserved glaze, and brush again 10 min before pulling.

  5. 05

    Pull at 63°C

    Pull when the core reads 63°C. It will carry over to 65-67°C — the sweet spot for pork.

  6. 06

    Rest

    Rest 10 minutes uncovered: tent it with foil and the trapped steam softens the mustard-and-honey crust you have spent the whole cook building. Slice 1.5 cm thick across the grain.

About this recipe

Indirect cook at 180°C for about an hour and fifteen. The star is the glaze, applied twice during the last third of the bake.

Will it fit your kamado?

  • Small

    33-40 cm · Joe Jr, MiniMax

    Tight

    A 1.5 kg loin is about 30-35 cm long: probably a tight fit; otherwise cut it into two pieces.

  • Medium

    46-51 cm · Classic, Large

    Fits

    The whole loin fits easily.

  • Large

    56-61 cm · Big Joe, XL

    Fits

    Fits with room to spare; probably two loins for more servings.

What to serve with it

Sides

Wine
Valdeorras Godello white or young Rioja red
Beer
Wheat beer or amber ale
Alcohol-free
Sparkling apple juice

Leftovers and storage

In the fridge
Whole or sliced, airtight within 2 h: 3-4 days in the fridge.
Freezing
Freezes 2-3 months in slices; thaw in the fridge, never refreeze.
Reheating
Slices in a covered pan with a splash of stock to 74 °C; or serve cold, thinly sliced.
Using them up
Pork loin sandwich with mustard and pickles.

Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours. When in doubt, throw it out.

Leftover embers

You still have embers: what to do with the leftover heat

For 1 h 15 min at 180 °C in a classic kamado you load about 800 g of charcoal and burn 600 g: when you serve, about 240 g of live embers remain. Before you shut the vents, that is still enough for:

Before opening the lid, crack it open for a few seconds first; if you raise the heat, stir the ash so the coals can breathe. And if you are not going to use them: once the food is out, close the bottom and top vents. The charcoal that does not burn (about 240 g) can be used next time. Different size of kamado? Work out your load for 2 h of fire, lighting included.

Editor's tips

  • Without a probe thermometer this recipe is guesswork. Any Inkbird will do.
  • If the glaze starts to scorch early, drop to 160°C for the final 15 minutes.

Gear for this recipe

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FAQ

  • What internal temperature is perfect?

    62-63°C in the centre of the loin. Above 65°C it dries out fast; below 60°C the centre is undercooked. A meat probe is non-negotiable here — loin is the least forgiving pork cut. Five degrees over or under changes dinner.

  • How long should it rest before slicing?

    10 minutes uncovered (covering with foil softens the crust). Juices redistribute and stay in the meat instead of pooling on the board. Slicing immediately costs you 30% of the juice on the first cut. Those 10 minutes of patience are the line between juicy and dry.

  • Is overnight marinating worth it?

    Yes. Mustard + honey + garlic marinade penetrates much better with 12 hours cold. Short on time, it stays as surface glaze — tasty but not deep. Honey caramelises with heat into a signature amber crust. That crust is the visual ID of this dish.

  • Can I make this recipe with a different cut instead of pork loin?

    Pork collar and turkey breast keep the indirect roast; collar takes more doneness and the breast needs 74 °C. Presa switches to reverse sear with a final sear. The probe decides, not the clock.

  • What do I do with the embers left after making Pork loin with mustard-honey crust?

    After 1 h 15 min at 180 °C in a classic kamado about 240 g of live embers remain: 50 min more at 180 °C without touching the vents or 1 h 25 min at 100-130 °C closing the vents. If you are not going to use them, close both vents and keep the charcoal for next time.

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