Apple Stuffed Pork Loin Recipe
I decided that I wanted to make a roast for the holidays. Typically when I think of roasts I think of various cuts of beef such as prime rib, rump roast, etc. However, I’m not a big beef fan so I settled on a pork loin.
Pork loin is a very lean cut of meat. If there is any fat, it’s typically found on the outside of the loin where it can be easily trimmed off. An unfortunate downside to the meat being so lean is that it can become very dry and tough. With that in mind, I decided to stuff the loin to provide a bit of extra moisture while the meat cooked.
Ingredients
2 Granny Smith Apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 2-3 pound pork loin (extra fat trimmed)
Adobo (or salt)
Black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
Butcher’s twine
Instructions
First things first, peel, core, and quarter the apples. Next, use a food processor or box grater to shred the apple quarters. You need about two cups of shredded apples so depending on the size of your apples you might need a third. Place the shredded apples in a bowl and add the sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Thoroughly mix the ingredients so the apples are well covered. Set aside the bowl and while the apple mixture is macerating begin preparing the pork loin.
Place the pork loin on a cutting board and evenly season the meat with the Adobo, black pepper, and paprika. Next, butterfly the loin to prepare it for the stuffing. Take a sharp knife and cut about a ½ inch into the top of the length of the loin. Turn your knife laterally and continue cutting the length of the loin while turning the meat until you get to the end. At this point, you should have a fairly flat piece of meat that’s about a ½ inch thick.
Evenly spread the hoisin sauce over the butterflied loin’s surface. Take handfuls of the apple stuffing and evenly spread it over the loin. Be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid before you place the handfuls of apples or it will make a mess but don’t throw away the liquid.
Start at one end and roll up the butterflied loin taking care to push back in any of the stuffing that might fall out. Roll the loin over so that the seam is at the bottom. Next, truss the loin with butcher’s twine (or thread if you don’t have any twine) at about one inch intervals. Slowly pour the reserved apple liquid over the loin with a spoon. I chose to bake the pork loin on a bed of Broccoli Normandy so I’d have a side prepared with little additional effort. You can certainly use other kinds of vegetables if they can stand up to the long cooking time or you don’t mind them being a bit mushy.
Bake the pork loin covered with foil or a lid in a 350 degree oven for about 1 ½ hours or until the center of the loin is 165 degrees for well done / 160 for slightly pink and juices run clear. Allow the pork loin to rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before carving the loin into ½ inch slices.
Approximately 8 servings
Tags: dinner, food, meat, recipes