Cherry and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin
By: Culinary Envy
Published: Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - 6:43am

Ingredients




1 teaspoon olive oil
¾ cup baby spinach
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup dried cherries
¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
1 to 1½ pound pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 pieces butcher’s twine, 10” in length

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 2 Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Coarsely chop the baby spinach. Add the spinach, lemon zest, salt, garlic powder and onion powder to pan. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until just wilted. Remove spinach to a small bowl and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Add the dried cherries and goat cheese crumbles to the spinach and toss slightly. 3 Rinse tenderloin and thoroughly pat dry. Lay tenderloin on a separate cutting board. Use a sharp knife to "butterfly" the pork tenderloin. This is done by making an incision mid way through the length of the tenderloin (so it opens like a book). Be sure to leave the loin with at least ½ inch uncut at the base. Repeat with remaining loin (here is a video I found to demonstrate). 4 Cover loins with plastic wrap and use the back of a rolling pin (or a meat tenderizer) to gently pound the meat until the surface is flat. Do not over pound, as this will affect the texture of the pork. Pound out to a uniform ½" thickness. 5 Place spinach filling down the center and roll up. 6 Tie the pork tenderloin closed with 4 pieces of twine, binding every two inches on the loin, ensuring the roll stays intact. Cut the excess string length. 7 Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper. 8 Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add pork to hot pan and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer pork loin to prepared baking sheet and bake the pork loin until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, about 12 minutes. 9 Remove from the oven and place the loin on a plate and cover with foil. This will allow the meat to rest and give the filling a chance to firm up. 10 Slice pork into ½” thick slices and serve.

About

Easy, delicious and healthy roasted Cherry and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin is overflowing with flavor.