Stuffed Pork Loin

By Dianne Godfrey.
 Date: Dec. 12th, 2019 - 1:00 PM

Ingredients

3 ounces fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped dried tart cherries
¾ cup cooked wild rice
¾ teaspoon dried sage, crushed
⅓ cup chopped pecans
1¼ teaspoons salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
1 (3½ pound) boneless pork center loin roast
¼ teaspoon dried sage, ground
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme, ground
½ cup low-sugar apricot preserves
3 tablespoons water

Preparation

  1. Cook spinach in hot oil in a large skillet until wilted. Combine the cooked spinach, dried cherries, cooked wild rice, crushed sage, pecans, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Trim excess fat from pork. To pinwheel the pork loin, start cutting lengthwise ½ inch under the fat cap on the roast. As you cut the roast, gently rotate the roast at the same time. This will allow the roast to “unroll” as you cut it. When the roast is completely cut, it should be a rectangular piece of meat between ½ and 1 inch thick.
  3. Sprinkle cut surface of the meat with the remaining ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, the ¼ teaspoon ground sage, and the thyme. Spread the spinach mixture over the cut side. Roll up the loin tightly to resemble the initial roast. Tie securely with twine.
  4. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan; insert a meat thermometer into thickest part. Roast in preheated oven for 1½ to 1¾ hours, or until oven thermometer registers 140°F.
  5. Meanwhile, stir apricot jam and the water in a small saucepan over low heat, until the jam has melted.
  6. Remove the roast from the oven and brush on about half of the apricot mixture. Return to the oven and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 150°F. Remove from the oven; brush with the remaining apricot mixture. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes in a warm place before carving. The temperature of the meat after standing should be 160°F.

Stuffed Pork Loin