Toscana Fire Pork Recipe | Italian BBQ Dry Rub

Toscana Fire gives pork an Italian-inspired flavour direction with fennel seeds, smoked paprika, allspice and cayenne. Use it to season pork tenderloin, pork neck or ribs, but these cuts need different methods. Choose the appropriate approach below; one fixed time per kilogram does not work for all three.

Toscana Fire rub packaging on a wooden table with Italian cooking props
Product illustration of the rub used, not a photo of the cooked recipe. Props around the packet do not form an ingredient list.

What do you need?

  • A total of 1.5 kg pork tenderloin, pork neck or ribs; choose one cut and adapt the method accordingly.
  • 40–50 g Toscana Fire BBQ Rub as an available working quantity. Use enough for an even layer and follow the label quantities.
  • Up to 3 tbsp olive oil, as needed for a thin seasoning paste
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, as a separate recipe addition
  • BBQ set up for indirect cooking or an oven
  • Optional: suitable aluminium foil or food-safe butcher paper
  • Meat thermometer
  • For the oven, optionally a splash of water or white wine

You add the garlic and oil yourself; they are not a claim about the rub composition here. Check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens.

Preparation

Mix an appropriate quantity of rub with the garlic and just enough oil for a thin paste. Spread evenly over the meat; a thick layer of oil or seasoning is unnecessary for adhesion.

Season shortly before cooking if desired. If seasoning ahead, keep the meat covered in the refrigerator within its shelf life. Marinating for at least two hours is not compulsory; overnight does not guarantee deep penetration of every flavouring. Keep the rub supply and clean serving equipment separate from raw meat.

Cooking on the BBQ: choose your cut

Use the BBQ only outdoors in a suitable place and follow its instructions. Set up an indirect zone and monitor progress with a thermometer. A total of 1.5 kg does not establish the thickness of each individual piece.

Pork tenderloin

A lean, relatively thin cut does not need hours of low & slow cooking. Cook indirectly over controlled heat and briefly brown if desired. The earlier 45–60 minutes is not a fixed duration for every tenderloin.

Measure the thickest part of each piece. The original 65–68°C range may be a choice for an intact whole cut, but colour alone does not prove doneness. Rest briefly after cooking. For injected, mechanically tenderised or otherwise processed meat, follow its specific cooking instructions rather than automatically applying this approach.

Pork neck for pulled pork

Cook indirectly at around 120–130°C as a starting point. Expect a long cook; two to three hours is not reliable planning for 1.5 kg of pork neck intended to pull apart. Wrapping is optional and affects crust and moisture loss.

A core range around 90–95°C may help orient you but is not a compulsory endpoint. Check several places for little resistance to a clean probe and whether the meat has the desired pulled texture.

Pork ribs

Use controlled indirect heat here too. Rib type and thickness help determine progress; two to three hours is not a general doneness promise. Assess temperature and texture together. Yielding readily to a probe or bend test indicates tenderness, not independent proof of food safety.

Extra smoking wood is optional. Use only suitable products according to the cooker instructions. Olive or cherry wood does not automatically make cooking Mediterranean or guarantee a certain smoke intensity.

Cooking in the oven

The oven method must also suit the cut. Do not use 180°C and 25–30 minutes per 500 g for every piece.

  • Pork tenderloin: an oven around 180°C fan is one possible approach. Begin measuring in good time and focus on the thickest part, not the combined weight of several tenderloins.
  • Pork neck for pulled pork: choose gentle cooking, for example around 120–130°C, optionally covered. Allow plenty of time and assess desired tenderness; a fixed minutes-per-500-g rule does not work here.
  • Pork ribs: choose controlled oven cooking suited to rib type and thickness, for example around 150°C conventional heat, optionally covered. Monitor progress and texture.

A small splash of water or wine in the dish can add moisture and flavour but does not guarantee tenderness. With wine, do not assume all alcohol disappears during every cooking process.

Extra browning is optional. Stay nearby and stop when the exterior has enough colour. A fixed final ten minutes at 220°C can burn garlic and spices and does not guarantee a crisp crust.

Resting and storage

Rest briefly before slicing or pulling. Ten to fifteen minutes may be a starting point, but is not a universal requirement or guarantee of juiciness.

For longer waiting, hold cooked meat under controlled conditions at least 60°C and measure; foil or an insulated box alone does not guarantee this. Divide leftovers into smaller portions, chill rapidly and refrigerate covered at 4°C within two hours. Use within two days or freeze promptly. Reheat until steaming hot throughout, for example checking 74°C in the core.

Serving

Slice pork tenderloin. Pull apart only pork neck cooked sufficiently tender; serve ribs in rib portions. Pair with courgette, roasted tomatoes or bread, for example. Pulled pork also suits ciabatta with rocket and Parmesan; account for wheat and milk in these additions.

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Learn more about BBQ techniques

Low & slow BBQ: the basics
Developing bark on the BBQ
BBQ core temperatures
Choosing smoking wood for your cook