Mediterranean Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
I saw a beautiful picture of a pork tenderloin stuffed with goodies which sent me on a recipe search for something similar. The recipe I found is from Neighborhood Food Blog, and because the ingredients made my mouth water, it went on the menu. It came out perfect the first attempt, well, except I didn’t have butchers string to tie up the tenderloin so the filling oozed out just a bit, but the second time included tying it up with string! So, if you don’t have the butchers string, no worries!
Pork is one of my favorites - bacon, pulled pork, ribs - and when it’s cooked just right, it is the best! But, in a healthy eating world, I do notice that organic or humanly raised pork is a little harder to find than beef or chicken. I had a little chat one day with the butcher at my local market about that and he explained that obtaining organic certification for a pork farm is much harder than for beef or chicken farms. Ahhhh, that makes sense, although not verified through Google, I’m going with that explanation. One of my goals for the upcoming new year is to purchase some good quality pork in bulk as there are a few resources for that around my area. My other favorite organic meats, beef and chicken, all seem to be readily available in the local markets so I just watch for the sales and stock up. It does take a little planning and effort, but eating healthy does not have to be more expensive, we can do this!
Back in the day before I found cooking to be a fun hobby, I remember discovering the prepackaged marinated pork tenderloin. Onto the baking sheet, into the oven, and ta-da, I was a good cook! Now I’ve discovered a few basic ingredients can be tossed together to make a marinade for a pork tenderloin, and is actually much better, but that’s part of the lifetime of learning process, right?
This recipe was easy to make, so don’t let the presentation scare you off. It includes some feta cheese, if you are 100 percent Whole30, skip over that ingredient. The flavor is great and the presentation is even greater, you are going to get the compliments on this one!! Remember we eat with our eyes first, right!?
INGREDIENTS -
Pork tenderloin
For the filling -
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
5 cups packed baby spinach
Pinch salt
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in oil), chopped
3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
For the glaze -
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 heaping teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Prepare all of your ingredients first by mincing the garlic for both the filling and the glaze, zest the lemon, chop the rosemary, and dice up the sundried tomatoes. With those items prepared, you can set aside your cutting board to use for the pork.
Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large fry pan to medium high. Add the garlic and sprinkling of red pepper flakes and allow to simmer for about a minute, releasing all of their yummy flavors. Add the baby spinach and a pinch of salt, stir while cooking for a couple of minutes until it is all wilted down. Remove from the heat and pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture from the spinach. Place the spinach in a bowl and stir in the sundried tomatoes and feta.
In another bowl prepare the glaze by whisking together all of the glaze ingredients.
Slice open the pork tenderloin and lay it flat. I’m not sure how to differentiate when you are buying pork, but in some packages the tenderloin is in a solid piece and easy to slice open, and then the next one will be two separate pieces, oh well, thus two separate rolled pork tenderloins! It doesn’t really matter, they both taste great.
Spread the filling out on the pork tenderloin and then roll up, or fold up depending on the size of the tenderloin. Tie together a few times to hold it together.
Rub the glaze all over the pork tenderloin. Bake at high heat, 425, for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 for the remainder of the baking time. Your time is going to vary depending on the size of your tenderloin, but plan about 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 145.
What a beautiful dish this makes! If you are a pork lover, put this one on your menu soon, you will be amazed at how simple it is to make such an amazing entree. Enjoy!
