Feast of Fridays: Pork Tenderloin With Spicy Stuffing!

This recipe is not quite as simple as most recipes I post here, but oh my goodness, it’s absolutely FANTASTIC!  It’s equally perfect as a family supper or a company dinner, too.

Wait until pork tenderloin goes on sale; where I live, they are often two for the price of one.

Be sure your knife is very sharp, too.  I recommend one of our Messermeister knives. Kitchen knives really need to be sharp and sturdy, and Messermeister knives fill the bill perfectly.

Ingredients:

1 large pork tenderloin, between 1 and 2 pounds

1 box stuffing mix, any kind

2 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped

1 5-oz. jar Texas Apple Jalapeno pepper jelly   1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350.  Follow the directions on the box of stuffing and stir in apple, pepper jelly, raisins, and nuts.  Set aside for a few minutes.

Put the tenderloin on a stable work surface, with a cutting board underneath.  With your sharp knife, slice it lengthwise almost all the way through, but be sure to leave enough “connection” so it won’t tear when you fold it.

Open the tenderloin out like a book, and flatten it as much as you can without breaking the connection.

Cover the stuffing mixture on the tenderloin, pressing it into the meat as much as you can.  There will probably be a little stuffing left over; that’s okay.  We’ll use it.

Roll the tenderloin up to enclose the filling.  tie it together with clean cotton twine.

Put the rolled-up tenderloin in a large baking pan, NOT a cookie sheet.  Pan must have sides!

Roast the pork for about a half-hour. A really large tenderloin will need 45 minutes, at least.  Check with an oven thermometer; the meat’s internal temperature should be 15 degrees before it’s removed from the oven.

When the meat is done, remove it from the oven and set it aside.  In a large heavy skillet, mix together 1/4 cup drippings and the wine; cook for about three minutes.  Add the chicken broth, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the cream and give it another 3 minutes.

Place the tenderloin on a platter and pour the sauce over it.  Slice into disks.

Stand back.  Your hungry family or guests will attack this dish with gusto.  Watch your fingers!

If there is any tenderloin leftover – don’t count on it unless you hide a slice away for later – it makes an awesome sandwich.