Stuffed Pork Loin
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 loin of pork
- 1/3 lb sweet sausage,crumbled small
- 4-6 garlic cloves - mashed
- 1 pound thinly sliced mushrooms
- 1 med. onion, minced
- 1 sweet red pepper, minced
- 1 T red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste (sea salt and fresh cracked pepper are best)
- 1 box frozen spinach - thawed and all liquid squeezed out
- 1.5 cups crumbled feta cheese
- 2 T Greek or Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp fresh ribboned mint (rollup leaves and slice really thin)
- 4 tsp fresh ribboned basil
- 1 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary
- To Deglaze -
DIRECTIONS
- With tip of knife 1 inch from the bottom of loin, cut a long slit about 1" deep from end to end. Roll the loin slightly, letting the flap you just cut lay flat.
- Repeat the cut....repeat the action. This will produce a large, fairly flat sheet of pork, about 1" thick.
- Cover a cookie sheet with 3 layers of cheesecloth, put the meat on top of the cheesecloth - cover and refigerate.
- In a large pan, saute next 7 ingredients
- (sausage to salt and pepper)
- When transparent, remove from heat and add rest of ingredients. Mix well.
- Spread filling on pork loin, to within 2" of end. This will be the tail end.
- Carefully lift cheesecloth at front end and use it to help roll the loin back up.
- Be careful not to get the cheesecloth caught in the roll. Roll as tightly as you can...if filling falls out at edges, unroll an inch or so and put it back.
- When rolled, with seam side down, pull 1 end of cheesecloth up and over the loin and pull tight. Pull up the sides, and tuck the end you just pulled under the loin - then roll loin gently over the rest of the cheesecloth, tucking sides as you go. The cheesecloth eliminates the need for string ties.
- Bake in shallow pan -- 350' -- approx. 20 minutes per # -- 160' inner temp.
- When done, remove loin to board to rest 10 minutes before unwrapping.
- After 10 minutes - Remove cheesecloth with scissors - cut near bottom - unwrap and remove cheesecloth - cut into 1" to 1.5" slices.
- While meat is resting:
- Deglaze pan with 1 cup of dark spiced rum and 1 cup club soda - reduce liquid to 1/2, remove from heat and add 2 T cold cubed butter. Serve on side, or spoon over slices when served.
- For a lighter taste, use a good Pinot Grigiot to deglaze.
- Your favorite beer also works well...