The Seasonal Gourmet

Slices of stuffed pork tenderloin, served with risotto and garnished with fresh sage

Pork pairs very well with hearty herbs such as sage and thyme, making it the perfect choice for autumn dinners. Unfortunately, pork tenderloin is very lean and can tend to be dry if overcooked.  Stuffing it with a flavourful filling and wrapping it in thin slices of prosciutto will help keep it moist and delicious.

Preparing a pork tenderloin for stuffing is very easy:

• Lay the tenderloin on a piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise down the middle of the tenderloin, cutting about ¾ of the way through the meat (do not slice it entirely in half).
• Open the slit as though opening a book. Make another similar slit down the middle of the left side and repeat again on the right. There will be three cuts down the loin in total.
• Spread open the loin and place a piece of plastic wrap on top. Using a heavy meat mallet, pound the tenderloin until it is of uniform thickness, about 3/4“ thick. The pork is now ready to be stuffed and rolled.

A Helpful Tip: To secure the stuffed and rolled pork loin, break off a couple of pieces of raw dry spaghetti. Use the spaghetti like toothpicks to hold the meat in place. Insert into the meat and snap off any extra length that is poking out. The spaghetti will cook along with the pork and no one will notice it. It’s much safer than leaving toothpicks in!

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Wrapped with Prosciutto

Serves 4 to 6

Stuffing:

• 1 Tablespoon neutral oil such as canola or safflower
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 3 slices white bread, crusts trimmed and cut into ½” cubes
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1 Tablespoon white wine (optional)
• 5 swiss chard leaves, chopped (about 1 cup of chopped chard)
• 1 slice prosciutto, cut into small dice
• ¼ cup (packed) shredded mozzarella or smoked mozzarella

Pork:

• 1 lb. (450 grams) whole pork tenderloin
• 4 to 5 slices prosciutto, sliced paper-thin
• 1 piece dry spaghetti
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons oil
• 2 large pieces of plastic wrap

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. To make stuffing: In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add bread cubes and toast for 1 minute. Add herbs and cook for another minute.
3. Pour in chicken stock and wine. Add swiss chard and cook until the chard goes limp, about 2 minutes. Stir mixture and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, until all liquid has been absorbed.
4. Remove stuffing from the heat. Stir in diced prosciutto and mozzarella. Set mixture aside until ready to stuff the pork (stuffing can be made in advance and refrigerated up to 24 hours).
5. To Prepare Pork: Slice open and pound out pork between sheets of plastic wrap as detailed above (‘Preparing a pork tenderloin for stuffing’).
6. Lay the prepared pork flat and spoon the stuffing in a line down the middle. Roll up the tenderloin and secure with pieces of dry spaghetti (see ‘A Helpful Tip’, above) or toothpicks.
7. Wrap the entire tenderloin with prosciutto slices. Pour 1-1/2 Tablespoons oil on the bottom of a baking sheet and place the tenderloin on the sheet.
8. Roast pork for about 30 minutes or until the meat is just faintly pink when sliced into. Let cool slightly and slice. Serve with roast potatoes, rice or risotto. Garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh sage.

Bon Appétit and Enjoy!

This article first appeared on Suite 101.com.