Roasted Pork Loin

Pork Loin Stuffed with Cornbread and Apples Cornbread and Apple Stuffing 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup finely chopped smoked ham 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped celery Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup diced (1/4-inch) peeled apple 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 1 1/2 cups crumbled and dried homemade cornbread or dried cornbread stuffing mix 1/4 cup apple juice, or more 1 egg, beaten lightly Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat; add ham and cook 3 minutes. Add onion, celery and a pinch each of salt and pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the diced apple and cook 1 minute. Transfer apple mixture to a large bowl, sprinkle with sage, and stir in cornbread crumbs, apple juice and egg. The mixture should be moist but not too wet. Add more apple juice if the mixture seems dry. Adjust the seasonings and set aside. Stuffed Pork Loin 1 # boneless pork loin (I buy half pork loins and split them into chops and small roasts) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 2 small apples, peeled, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lay the meat, fat-side down, on a large cutting board and make a lengthwise cut two-thirds through the loin. Open up the cut so you have a large rectangle of meat. Place fat-side down and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat pounder, or similar implement of destruction, carefully but authoritatively flatten the meat to an even thickness. 3/4 of an inch is about right. {{WHen I typed up the notes for this I marked places to put pictures of the assembly of the roast, but I forgot to take them. The picture here is of someone else's roast, as is the next link}} Remove the plastic wrap and spread the stuffing evenly over the meat, leaving a 3/4–inch border. Roll up the meat like a jelly roll, so that stuffing is in a spiral pattern. Tie the rolled roast at 2-inch intervals with butcher’s twine. {{rolled and tied}} Place the rest of the stuffing in a small greased baking dish to cook alongside the roast. Combine salt, pepper, and sage and sprinkle over the roast. Lay the sliced apples on the bottom of a roasting pan slightly larger then the roast and set the roast, fat-side up, on the apples. Put the roast in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325 F and roast for about 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 145 F. Transfer it to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while you make the sauce. Transfer the apples to a bowl with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Roasted Apple Sauce Reserved apples from pork loin recipe 2 Tb dry sherry 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup apple juice or cider 2 Tb heavy cream Skim the fat from the roasting pan, leaving the meat juices on the bottom. Put pan over medium-high heat, add the sherry and deglaze pan allowing the alcohol to burn off, about 15 seconds. Add stock, apple juice and cream. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until reduced by half. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm while you carve the pork roast. Remove the twine from the roast and cut it into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the pork on a serving platter, spoon the sliced apples around the meat and pour the sauce over all. Serves 4-ish.