Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin

with Roasted Apples

Stuff, roll, and wrap the butterflied pork loin.

Roast the pork on a bed of apples, which serves as a natural rack and adds sweetness to the cider jus. Don't sweat the technique, just have fun creating!

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 cup whole porcini mushrooms
• 3/4 cup apples
• 1 pound kale, bottom stems trimmed
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbl unsalted butter
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 tbl finely minced garlic
• 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 ½ tsp rosemary
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 oz Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 large egg

Pork:

• 1(trimmed) 2 1/2–3-lb. pork loin
• 1tsp salt for seasoning
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
• 1 package of thinly sliced bacon or prosciutto
• 5 sprigs rosemary
• 4 medium apples, halved
• 3 tbl salted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup dry hard cider
• ½ cup low-salt chicken stock

Preparation

Filling:

• Place mushrooms and apples in separate small bowls. Add 1 cup boiling water to each bowl. Let mushrooms and apples soak until very soft, about 30 minutes. Strain mushrooms. Cover and chill soaking liquid (about 3/4 cup). Drain apples, discarding soaking liquid. Finely chop mushrooms and apples, combine in a small bowl, and set mushroom and apple mixture aside.
• Meanwhile, blanch kale in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer kale to a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate until cool. Remove any large, tough ribs.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and apples; cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 1 minute. Stir in 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely.
• Mix in the Ricotta cheese, egg and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly.

Pork:

• To butterfly, put pork loin on cutting board with short end facing you. Holding a long, thin sharp knife parallel to work surface and beginning along one long side, cut 1/2" above underside of roast. Continue slicing inward, pulling back the meat with your free hand and unrolling the roast like a carpet, until the entire loin is flat. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound to an even thickness.

• Uncover pork. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Place kale leaves on top of loin in an even layer, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1" border. Spread filling on top of kale. Roll pork into a tight cylinder. Wrap one layer of prosciutto around roast. Tie roast securely with kitchen twine in 1" intervals. Tuck rosemary sprigs under twine, spacing apart. DO AHEAD: Pork roast can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing.

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place apples in a roasting pan. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a large skillet. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minute’s total, and then set on top of apples in pan. Add cider and 1/2 cup water to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Pour mixture into roasting pan. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loin registers 140° (it will be cooked medium but still slightly pink), about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let roast rest for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

• Put roast on a platter. Reserve apples from roasting pan; spoon off fat from juices in pan. Place pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Add chicken stock. Pour in reserved mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind, and cook, scraping bottom of pan to release any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce; slice pork. Serve sauce and apples alongside sliced pork.
      

I chose to servethe Pork Loin with a baked Sweet Potato and sauted garlic Brusselsprouts.

It was delicious and so were the leftovers!

Enjoy!

Heather