Cider Brined Pork Loin Stuffed with Butternut Squash, Apples and Cranberries

By foodiva

Scroll to Top Button

Ingredients

• FOR THE BRINE
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/3 cup Stonemill Essentials salt
• 1/3 cup Baker’s Corner Light Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 3 cups Nature’s Nectar apple cider
• 2 cups ice water
• FOR THE STUFFING AND PORK
• 1 boneless pork loin (2-3 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon Carlini olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 apple, diced
• 1/4 cup Southern Grove dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• FOR THE CIDER SAUCE
• Pan drippings with fat poured off
• 3 tablespoons Baker’s Corner flour
• 1 1/2 cups Nature’s Nectar apple cider
• 1 cup Fit & Active Reduced Sodium chicken broth
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from peanutbutterrunner.com

Preparation

Step 1

FOR THE BRINE

Butterfly the pork loin by turning it on its side and slicing down the center, careful not to cut all the way through. Open the pork up like a book and place in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Mix together hot water, salt, brown sugar, herbs, spices, cider and ice water and pour brine over pork. Refrigerate for 8-12 hours, turning a few times. Remove pork from brine, rinse with cool water and pat dry.

FOR THE STUFFING AND PORK

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until thinned and shimmering. Add squash, onions, apples and cranberries and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7-10 minutes, or until squash, apples and onions are softer in consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place pork on a large work surface like an open book. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread stuffing mixture across the pork and top with chopped herbs. Working slowly, bring together the two ends of the pork and secure with kitchen twine, starting at one end and working down to the other. If you lose any filling here, just stuff it back in the sides.

Place pork in a large baking dish to cook and into preheated oven. The pork loin should take anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes to cook, depending on the size of your roast. Spoon the pan drippings on the pork loin an few times during cooking to baste the meat. The pork is done when the internal temperature reaches 145-150 degrees and is firm to the touch.

Remove pork from pan and drape with foil. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

FOR THE GRAVY

Pour a little bit of the fat off the pan drippings and add them to a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add flour and whisk to combine and to create a roux. Slowly add cider and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed and brighten up with a squeeze of lemon juice if needed.

Yield: 10-12 servings

{ 4 comments… add one }

I’m not a meat-eater but the flavors in this dish combined sound heavenly!

Hi Jen, I just wanted to leave a comment saying that I love your blog and read it daily. I think you’re so inspiring- so toned but balanced and not obsessive about macro ratios etc.

I’ve just hurt my knee training for my first marathon, and I think it was because my shoes are giving out. I was wondering what running shoes took you through your recent half marathon? I remember you recommended a pair of Mizunos and a pair of Brooks, but I can’t remember the exact shoe.

Kind regards

this might sound silly, but how to you prevent the meat from unraveling when u slice it?

This is not a recipe I would typically make, but it looks really good and a great meal to have during the holiday’s. I know my grandparents would love it!

Leave a Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Comment

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Next post: How Do You Treat Your Feet?

Previous post: Life Lately: Zoey Girl, Baking, Yoga Stuff and Things to Read

Welcome to my blog!

(1) right blogher ad 300

Get My Newsletter

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and receive special offers, recipes and workouts in your inbox.

Recipes

Check out Jen's Favorite recipes, sorted by meal.

Workouts

Check out Jen's fitness training workouts.

Yoga Tutorials

Check out Jen's latest yoga workouts.

Recent Posts

google-ad-300×600

Google rectangle

Burst 2

Lijit 300×250

Lijit 300×600

Burst 300×250

Google rectangle 2

I Love Instagram!

Categories

The Archives

Stay Connected

© Peanut Butter Runner. All rights reserved. Website by Web Symphonies