Apple Stuffed Rolled Pork Loin Roast

This recipe brings out the sweet notes of a pork roast.  For a more earthy tone, see Southern Rolled Pork Roast.

 

 

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

 

 

Ingredients

 

3 pound boneless pork loin

 

Salt

 

Freshly ground black pepper

 

1 cup country french bread with an airy texture, remove crust and cut in 1/2” cubes. Do not use a densely textured french bread as this imparts a gummy texture.

 

1 cup apple cider, divided

 

1 cup peeled, cored, and chopped tart, hard apple

 

½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

 

½ cup chopped raisins

 

1/3 cup shelled and chopped pistachios

 

¼ cup peeled and minced shallots

 

1 teaspoon butter

 

2 tablespoons raw honey

 

½ teaspoon lemon zest

 

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

 

1 teaspoon grated ginger

 

1-2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

 

 

Garnish

 

2 tablespoons shelled and roughly chopped pistachios

 

 

Steps

 

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Butterfly the pork loin by placing a chilled pork loin roast, fat side down, on a cutting board.
3. Begin cutting the roast an inch up from the bottom of the long side of the roast with a knife that is parallel to the cutting board.
4. Make ½” deep cuts all along the long side of the roast. Do not go more than ½” deep. Shallow cuts are easier to control.
5. Continue to make ½” deep cuts, ½” above the bottom of the roast, unrolling the roast away from the cuts as it opens up. Continue this process until the roast is a flat piece of meat, completely unrolled.
6. Place a piece of parchment paper over the butterflied pork roast and pound the meat until it is the same thickness throughout. Pounding also tenderizes the meat, so it should be pounded for at least 3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle the top of the roast with salt and pepper. Reserve.
8. Combine the bread cubes and ½ cup apple cider in a small bowl. Stir gently to combine. Allow bread to completely absorb the apple cider.
9. Place a small frying pan over medium heat. Melt butter in the small frying pan.
10. When the butter starts to bubble, but not brown, add shallots. Saute the shallots until soft, stirring often.
11. Add the apples, pistachios, raisins, sauted shallots, honey, lemon zest, ginger, and nutmeg to the soaked bread. Toss to mix.
12. Distribute the stuffing evenly across the meat to within a ½” of the edges of the butterflied roast.
13. Roll up pork roast, from the short side, starting on the short side that does not have fat on the bottom. When finished, the fat should be on the exterior of the roast.
14. Tie the roast up with kitchen strings, spaced 1 ½” apart.
15. Heat a cast iron skillet large enough to hold the roast over medium high heat. When skillet is hot, add grapeseed oil.
16. When oil shimmers, add roast and brown on all sides and ends.
17. Pour remaining ½ cup apple cider in the bottom of the skillet.
18. Place the roast, still in cast iron skillet, in the oven.
19. Bake, uncovered, for 40 – 60 minutes, or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
20. Remove roast from oven. Tent the roast with tinfoil and allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes.
21. Remove the kitchen string.
22. Slice into ½” thick slices. Use a spatula to place each slice on the serving platter.
23. Garnish slices with chopped pistachio nuts.
24. Serve.