Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin

Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 1 boneless pork loin (about 3-4 lbs)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 4 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into lardons
• 1 small red onion, diced
• Sea salt
• 2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 fresh sprigs of rosemary, needles picked off and finely chopped, divided into 2 separate piles
• ¼ cup dried cranberries (or prunes quartered)
• 2-3 cups chicken stock, divided

Steps

Stuffing

1. Coat a large sauté pan lightly with olive oil, add the bacon, and heat over medium.
2. When the bacon becomes crispy, add the onions and season with salt.
3. Cook the onions until they’re soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Add the apple, cranberries, and half the chopped rosemary.
5. Cook the apples, stirring occasionally until they start to soften, about 5 more minutes.
6. Add ½ cup chicken stock, and let it reduce down.
7. Remove from the heat and let cool.
8. Lay out a length of plastic wrap about 2 feet (60 cm) in length. Spoon the apple mixture onto the plastic and make a log down the center that is close to the same length of the pork loin, trying to keep it as close to 1 inch (2.5cm) in diameter as possible.
9. Place the log in the freezer and let it freeze solid, this can easily be prepped the night before, I used mine after it froze in about 7 hours.

To Prepare Pork

1. To stuff the pork, insert a long thick knife into the center of one end of the loin, repeat the process at the other end and wiggle the knife back and forth to create a cavity big enough to accommodate the stuffing.
2. Use a wooden spoon to widen the opening and make sure the hole goes all the way through.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/Gas 5.
4. Get the stuffing from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap, slide the stuffing through the pork loin. Be really patient it can get discouraging and you don’t want to break the log. Just gently encourage it.
5. Season the outside of the pork generously with salt and sprinkle it with the remaining rosemary.
6. Grease a roasting pan and bring the pan to a high heat, add the pork to the pan and sear it on all sides until it is browned.
7. Drain all the fat out of the roasting pan, and pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, place it in the oven for 15 minutes.
8. Turn the pork over and if you notice the broth is drying out, add the other cup of chicken broth. Return to the oven and continue baking for 15 to 25 minutes (a meat thermometer is very handy here), or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145°F/63°C (Note: I took mine out when it hit 135°F/57°C so it didn’t dry out).
9. Remove from the oven.
10. Cover it with foil, and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Recipe from the Caveman Feast app for iPhone, iPad and Android