Pork can often seem a bit dry, so I wanted to use this Pork Tenderloin stuffed with flavors to ensure that this wasn’t the case. Perhaps you’ll feel the same, and I hope you’ll give it a try. If you have the time, you can brine the meat for 45 minutes prior to beginning the stuffing. If so, take 1 quart water, add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup salt and stir to dissolve them. Place pork tenderloin in this “bath” and set in fridge to brine. When ready to stuff, remove from liquid, pat very dry with paper towels. Then proceed with the directions below. If you’re not brining, that’s fine too, just begin here:
Ingredients:
- 1 Pork Tenderloin, approx. 10 in. long (serves approx.3. For more, use a 2nd Tenderloin. Pkgs usually come with two anyway. If you make 2, double these ingredients )
- 2 tbl Butter
- 2 tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more if needed later
- 1/3 cup minced Red Bell Pepper
- 1/3 cup minced Zucchini, skin on.
- ¼ cup minced Shallot
Approx. 3-4 slices of Gluten Free Prosciutto, chopped or shredded. (Ask when purchasing. Boar’s Head brand in my area is G-F) - ¼ cup Shredded cheese, such as Swiss, Fontina, Provolone, etc. Not Mozzarella) You can use a dairy-free type such as Daiya too.
- Salt & Ground Black Pepper to taste
- Dash of Herbs de Provence.( a blend of Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano, Sage)
- ½ cup Chicken Broth or Stock. Plus more if needed later.
Butcher’s twine to tie pork when stuffed.
Directions:
Lie the pork on your cutting board and remove any “silver skin” that may be on it. (That’s the thick sliver-y piece. Not all of the covering, but the thick part) This is easy to do with a sharp knife. Just slip point under the skin at the end of it, and slice close to the silver skin, between that and the meat and glide knife along as the skin “pulls” away. Discard what’s been removed. Be careful not to be eliminating the meat. Just that thick skin.
Then with that knife, make a slice along the length of the tenderloin, but don’t go all the way through to the bottom. Cut a little on the inner sides as well until it resembles a flat piece of meat. We are Butterfly-ing the meat. It will look like a book being opened when we’re done. Try to cut the entire length so that it opens for stuffing. Set it aside.
In a skillet, put the butter and oil. When hot, saute the rest of the ingredients, except the Prosciutto and Cheese. Cook until soft. Probably 5 minutes. Remove to a plate but keep skillet with residue.
When cool enough to handle, spread along middle of the open tenderloin. On top spread the chopped Prosciutto and then on that, the shredded Cheese.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the butcher’s twine into 8-9 in. lenghts to tie after closing.
Fold the meat until it’s closed, trying to fold one long side over the other.
Take the twine lengths and tie to close the meat, making a knot, tightly every couple of inches. Of course, cut excess after the knot is made. Don’t panic, it will all come together!
When tied closed, put the meat in the skillet that we used for the veggies. If it seems dry, add 2 tbl oilive oil. We will brown the meat on as many sides as you can. Use tongs to rotate as each side gets golden.
In an oven-proof pan, ( or that skillet if it’s okay for the oven.) put the broth. Place the browned meat on top and set in the oven at 375 degrees.
Bake until meat reaches a temp of 145 degrees on the meat thermometer. Allow to rest so juices settle before cutting. When you do cut, use a sharp knife and cut where the twine is. That gives you a slice of about 1 ½ in. thick. Use the juices in the pan to spread over sliced meat. (You may also want to serve with some applesauce, but that’s just a suggestion.) I hope you’ll try this…if so, let me know how you liked it!
