Stuffed Pork Loin

This is another fantastic meal for the autumn-winter months and a real Danish staple. I have noticed that pork center cut loins are often on sale, and they make excellent roasts. One of our favorite things to do with a pork loin is to stuff it with two out of three items: apples, prunes, and/or onions, whichever we happen to have available. Then we brown it on the stovetop and finish in the oven. There are two tricks to stuffing the pork roast. One is to slice it carefully and in such a way that it can be stuffed and rolled back up like a pinwheel. The other is to know how to tie up a roast. There are two general ways of tying a roast, and believe me, the roast needs to be tied up. One is to use several short lengths of twine and tie a loop around the roast every inch or two (3-5 cm). The other is to use a single long piece of twine and tie the roast using surgeons' knots and without cutting the twine. I will discuss neither this evening but you can look them up on the net. The method of tying using a single piece of string is best learned about in leisure and practiced several times before you need it. Once you get it you will not forget it, and it will serve you well. Recipe:

Rinse off a 2-3 lb (about 1 kg) pork roast and season it well, especially with salt. Now place the pork down on a cutting board and slice into it parallel with the board and about a third of the way up the roast, so that one third is below the knife and two thirds is above. Using a heavy and sharp knife cut along flat, parallel with the board until about an inch (2 cm) from the end of the roast. Open up the roast like a book. Now cut back toward yourself, separating the top third from the middle third, stopping about an inch from the end, and open the roast up like a folded letter. At this point it should be flat and about an inch thick. Season well and drop small-diced apples, prunes, and/or onions onto the surface of the meat, pushing them in. Now take the edge of the roast and roll it back up like a pinwheel. Tie the roast well using butcher's twine until it will hold its shape during cooking. If there is more filling that did not stay in the roast, mash it into the ends. Allow the roast to rest in the refrigerator if you have time before cooking.

Melt some fat or butter in a large, oven-proof skillet (such as cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Add the roast and cook until caramelized (browned) well on one side. Turn onto a different side and repeat, making sure to brown all sides as well as the two ends of the roast. Once it is browned all over, place the pan with the roast into a pre-heated oven at 350 F (150 C) and cook for about an hour, or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 F (about 70-75 C). Remove the roast from the pan, place it on a clean cutting board, and tent it with foil for about 10 minutes.

Use a heavy knife (e.g. a 10-inch Wusthof) to slice the pork roast into 1-inch (2-3 cm) slices. Serve one or two slices on each plate with some mashed potato, mashed rutabaga, or red cabbage. After you get the hang of this it will become a favorite recipe.