Apple And Bacon Stuffed Pork Loin

Bev had purchased a whole pork loin during her recent visit to Sam’s Club and rather than cut any chops, I cut it into four roasts about 7” long and froze three of them.  The fourth, I decided to use as a stuffed pork loin and Tatyana’s recipe for it from her “Tatyana’s Everyday Food” blog looked good especially since I had nearly everything on hand.  I only had a two pound roast so I halved everything to get the recipe below.  You can click on the above link for her original recipe which is must more detailed than my edited version.  My roast didn’t look as perfect as hers.

Apple And Bacon Stuffed Pork Loin – Adapted from Tatyana’s Everyday Food

Ingredients:

2 pound pork loin

For Filling:

3 slices smoked bacon, diced

1 med shallot, diced

3 cups fresh baby spinach

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp brandy or cognac, optional

½ small apple, peeled and finely diced

¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tbsp sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tbsp fresh thyme (½ tsp dried)

½ tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (½ tsp dried)

Billy Bones pork rub  (added by Larry)

For Roasting Pan:

3 tbsp butter

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh thyme

10 whole garlic cloves

1 cup chicken broth

For Gravy:

1½ tbsp butter

1½ tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup pan drippings broth, strained

Instructions:

1. Trim the loin, then double butterfly it and pound with a Jaccard and/or meat mallet to ½” thickness.

Preparing the Filling:

2. Preheat a large pan over medium heat, add the diced bacon, and render it for a few minutes.

3. Next, add the shallots and cook until the bacon is crispy.

4. Add the fresh spinach next and toss it with the bacon bits.

5. After the spinach has wilted, add in the garlic and the brandy, toss everything together, and cook for about 2 minutes, until most of the liquids are reduced. Transfer this mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.

6. Add the remaining filling ingredients to the bowl: apples, dried cranberries, salt, black pepper, paprika, mustard, maple syrup, thyme and rosemary. Use a spoon to mix everything together thoroughly. Filling is all done!

Stuffing, Rolling & Tying:

7. Spread the prepared filling onto the entire surface of the pork loin, leaving a 1½ to 2 inch seam on just one edge, closest to the top. Pat the filling gently into place.

8. Begin rolling the pork loin, starting at short end.

9. The pork loin needs to be tied every couple of inches to keep the filling inside.

10. At this point, I added a coat of my pork rub so I didn't brown it in a pan.

Roasting the Pork:

Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the stuffed pork loin and fry the loin until it’s golden brown, then turn it. Turn it every few minutes, until it’s well browned all over. (Since I used a rub, I didn’t do this).

11. Add in the whole garlic cloves, fresh herbs and pour in 1 cup of chicken broth into a pan.

12. Roast the pork loin at 425F for approximately 30 minutes or until it has the desired color.

13. Insert a remote probe thermometer into the middle and cover the pan with foil.

14. Cook to an internal temp of 138F then, baste it a few times, remove to a cutting board and tent with the foil to rest while you make the gravy.

Making the Gravy:

15. For the gravy, strain the remaining broth from the pan through a fine mesh strainer and into a large measuring cup. Place the whole garlic into a separate bowl. Allow the broth to stand for about 10minutes, until the fat has separated at the top.

16. Using a baster, suck up the broth from the bottom of the measuring up into a second cup. You’ll need just 1 cup of the pan drippings/broth.

17. Preheat a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat and add the butter and flour to create a roux. Allow the roux to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then slowly begin adding the pan broth, whisking after each addition. Next, add in the chicken broth. This will help balance the gravy so it’s not too salty!

18. Finally, use a spatula to mash the roasted garlic and whisk it into the gravy!

Serving:

19.Once the pork is rested, cut away the twine, then use a sharp knife to slice the loin into ½-inch thick slices. Serve it with a generous amount of the gravy and some type of side dish.

We sided it with a baked sweet potato but my slices wanted to come apart a little.

The Verdict:

We all thought it was very good, with fork tender, juicy meat, a tasty filling and topped off with a complementary gravy.  It would have been very dry if cooked to the 160F suggested by Tatyana.  I’ll likely use a different recipe next time as there are so many different stuffings that I want to try.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

04/05/23 meal date