Inspired by the rich culture of the Toscana region in Italia, or Italy, this delicious barbecued pork loin features ingredients like pancetta, provolone, prosciutto, and parmesan cheese - apparently Italians love starting their foods with "P," who knew!
Tuscan Inspired Barbecue Pork Loin
Ingredients:
- 6 Garlic Cloves (finely diced)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (thinly sliced)
- 1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 142 grams of fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
- 2 tsp. of Salt
- ¼ tsp. of Chili Flakes
- 1 Tbsp. of Fresh minced Rosemary
- 3 lbs. of Pork Loin
- 16 oz. of Light Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 4 Tbsps. of Blues Hog Sweet and Savory Seasoning
- Cattleman’s Ranchero Seasoning
- 200 grams of Pancetta Crumble
- 6 slices of Prosciutto
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 3 Slices of Provolone
- String that's safe for food (4 strands about 8” long)
Directions to Butterfly Pork Tenderloin:
STEP 1: Before you even think of cooking, remember to make sure you only have the parts of the meat you actually want to cook. Trim any excess fat and silver skin left on the loin
STEP 2: Time to turn that pig into a butterfly. With your boning knife parallel to the cutting board, make a horizontal slice lengthwise about 1/3 of the way from the bottom. Stopping about one inch from the other side.
STEP 3: Then open like a book.
STEP 4: Make another horizontal cut into the thicker side of the roast, level with first cut and stopping about one inch from the edge.
STEP 5: Open that flap to create a flat piece of meat.
STEP 6: Use a mallet to pound down any thick portions of the butterflied pork to match the thinner parts. Doing this will ensure your meat cooks evenly.
Directions for Pancetta Pâté:
STEP 1: Add 1/3 cup of your extra virgin olive oil and the 6 cloves of finely diced garlic to the skillet with the burner set on medium heat. This step allows the oil to infuse into the garlic. Just stir lightly to prevent the garlic from burning and cook for 2-3 minutes.
STEP 2: Add fresh minced rosemary and chili flakes to the pan and cook for about 45 sec.
.
STEP 3: Use a strainer over a measuring cup and pour out oil and garlic mixture. Keep the oil for later, it'll used in the spinach mixture!
STEP 5: Place garlic, rosemary and chili flake mixture into food processor with pancetta and process it for about 40 seconds. You can open the lid and scrape the sides of the walls as needed. Keep repeating the process until the consistency becomes like a paste.
Directions for Spinach Mix:
STEP 1: Add thinly sliced garlic into a hot skillet with 3 tbsps. of the leftover extra virgin olive oil and cook until that heavenly smell of cooked garlic blesses your nose.
STEP 2: Gradually add the spinach to the pan. Once you have about 2/3 of your spinach in, you can also mix in 2 tsp. of salt to bring out the flavours. Continue adding spinach until it's all cooked.
STEP 3: After a good mix, take the pan off heat and let the spinach cool down on the side.
Directions for Cream Cheese Mix:
STEP 1: Mix the cream cheese and Blues Hog Sweet and Savoury in a bowl. There's only one step for this one, so don't mess it up!
Main Directions:
STEP 1: Preheat your beloved smoker for (265°F). Move on to the next steps while you let it do its thing.
We hope you like stacking things, or else you're not going to like the next six steps.
| STEP 2: Take your butterflied pork loin and lay flat on a cutting board. Again, make sure the pork loin is even in thickness so you can get a nice and even cook. |
 |
| STEP 3: Take your pancetta pate and spread evenly across, leaving 1.5” from one edge (to which you will roll later on). |
 |
| STEP 4: Place prosciutto evenly on top of the pâté. Again, make sure you leave the same 1.5" edge from the previous step. |
 |
| STEP 5: Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of prosciutto. |
 |
|
STEP 6: Channel your inner "Salt Bae" and sprinkle some parmesan all over it. Congratulations, you're now officially crowned as the "Parmesan Bae." |
 |
|
STEP 7: Place spinach mixture on top of parmesan cheese mixture, |
 |
|
STEP 8: Place 3 slices of provolone cheese down the center of the loin. |
 |
STEP 9: Now that you've got your meat-pizza all stacked in the right order. We're going roll it up. Make sure to start with the longer edge so that the roll will be as long as possible. It's alright if you lose some of the filling in the process. Here's your spontaneously made-up proverb for the day: don't sweat the small things now when you've got something so much better coming soon! That applies to barbecue and life, mainly because barbecue is life.
STEP 10: Once rolled, use your food-safe strings to tie up the roll so that it stays in place. This can get a little tricky so - again, in life and in barbecue - don't be afraid to ask for help! Make sure you tie it tightly; use as many strings as you need.
STEP 11: Once rolled apply a very liberal dusting of Cattleman’s Ranchero Seasoning to the entire outside.
STEP 13: Take roll and place it on a wire rack to cook inside your smoker. We're using our trusty Yoder YS640s. Next, crack a drink and check back in 2 hours.
STEP 14: Now that it's been 2 hours, the internal temperature of the loin should be crawling up to 145°F. If it's not quite there yet, check again every 30 minutes or so until you get up to temperature.
Note: Although you cannot go wrong with an instant read thermometer, you can also get a remote Bluetooth-controlled thermometer to make this easier by seeing the temperature updates on your phone. Click here to see our selection of remote thermometers.
Pictured here is the
STEP 15: After the internal temperature has reached 145°F, take that giant, juicy, smoky lump of deliciousness inside. Next, try your best to not take a bite right away and cover the whole thing in aluminum foil. Let it rest for about 20 minutes.
After letting it sit, it should look a little something like this:
STEP 16: Last and definitely NOT least, transfer to a cutting board and slice up some generous portions and serve with your favourite side and with your favourite people.
We know this one might have been a lot of steps, but it sure was worth it - wouldn't you agree? This cheesy, meaty, tasty pork loin is definitely a new staple in our family feasts!
Like smoking? Here are some recommendations to try:
Recipe written by barbecue enthusiast Andrew Plaza. Follow him on Instagram for more barbecue goodness by clicking here.
Do you like getting deals on BBQ and fireplace necessities that'll make your house a home? Subscribe to our Hotline Newsletter to be the first to receive updates on limited time deals and exclusive monthly recipes.
Barbecues Galore has the best selection of barbecues, patio furniture, and outdoor heating supplies. We sell barbecues, accessories, and everything else you need for exceptional grilling and backyard experiences. With locations in Calgary and the GTA, you can visit us in store or shop online. North Calgary Store: (403) 250-1558 | South Calgary Store: (403) 258-4440 | Burlington Store: (905) 639-5952 | Oakville Store: (905) 844-3224 | Etobicoke Store: (416) 546-3266