Incorporating apples into a savory application is a great way to add a bit of sweetness and bring balance to dishes.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5-6 medium sized apples (granny smith, honey crisp or any baking type) cut into 1/8” cubes
1 large leek, washed and drained, cut in half lengthwise, sliced thin
1-2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons dried thyme
¼ cup white wine
¼ dried cranberries
½ loaf (8oz) brioche bread, cut into 1/4” cubes
Kosher salt and black ground pepper, as desired
2-3 pounds center cut pork loin, fat trimmed, butterflied flat
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Preparation Method
- Preheat a stainless steel or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add butter and let melt. Once butter is melted, add the leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add apples to the pan and sauté with the leeks for about 5-7 minutes, until the apples have a touch of color and are slightly soft. Add in the sage, 1 tablespoon of thyme and the cranberries and cook for an additional minute.
- Increase heat to medium high, deglaze the pan with the white wine off the heat then place back on heat and cook until most of the wine has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Place brioche cubes into a large bowl, remove pan from heat and pour apple mixture over the bread. Toss thoroughly to combine with a rubber spatula.
- Season inside of pork loin with salt and pepper as desired then place stuffing onto the pork, gently pressing down. Roll up pork loin and secure with kitchen twine.
- Place pork loin onto a parchment paper lined baking tray and place onto the 3rd level of the oven. Place the probe into the thickest park of the meat, ensuring not to place probe into the center of any stuffing then plug probe into oven.
- Set oven using the Gourmet mode: select MEAT, PORK, ROAST, DONE then follow the instructions.
- Once the pork loin has reached the proper internal temperature, remove tray from oven and let the roast rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- Once rested, slice the pork into even rounded slices for serving.
*Chef Tips*
Resting meat is especially important when it comes to pork, chicken and beef as resting helps the juices redistribute throughout and keeps the meat moist.
Interested in making a pan sauce to go along with the pork? In Step 6, place pork loin onto a baking rack set on top of the parchment lined baking tray and follow instructions as directed. Once slightly cooled, strain any juice/fat from the tray into a sauce pot set over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of flour for each tablespoon of juice/fat collected and whisk to form a roux. Cook roux for about 1-2 minutes then add 2 cups of milk, beef or chicken stock and bring to a boil, whisking continuously until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with any additional salt and pepper and herbs as desired.
