Stuffed Pork Loin

By efriend

Makes: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1 slice about 1-inch thick
Yields: 1 2/3 cup gravy
Prep: 55 mins to 1 hr
Roast: 1 hr to 1 hr 30 mins 350°F
Stand: 10 mins to 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Cherry and Wild Rice Stuffing or Spinach and Apricot Stuffing
• 1 3 pound boneless pork top loin roast (single loin)
• 1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Cracked black pepper (optional)
• Fresh whole tart red cherries or fresh apricots (optional)
• Snipped fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Cherry and Wild Rice Stuffing; set aside. Trim fat from pork. Butterfly the meat by making a lengthwise cut down the center of the meat, cutting to within 1/2 inch of the other sides; spread open. Place knife in the V of the cut and cut horizontally to the cut surface and away from the center cut to within 1/2 inch of the other side of the meat. Repeat on opposite side of the V. Spread meat open. Cover the roast with plastic wrap. Working from center (thicker part) to edges, pound with flat side of a meat mallet until meat is an even thickness of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Remove plastic wrap. Set meat aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the stuffing evenly over the meat. Roll meat into a spiral, starting from a short side. Tie roast in three or four places with heavy 100-percent-cotton kitchen string. Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Insert an oven-going meat thermometer into center of roast. Roast, uncovered, for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 145 degrees F, covering ends of meat after 45 minutes to prevent stuffing from drying out. Transfer roast to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil; let stand while preparing gravy.
For pan gravy, add the 1 cup water to roasting pan, using a wire whisk to stir and scrape up browned bits. In a small saucepan whisk together the 1/3 cup cold water and the flour. Whisk in pan juices. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Season to taste with additional salt and ground black pepper. If desired, sprinkle gravy with cracked black pepper.
Remove string from pork roast; discard. Slice roast; serve with gravy. If desired, garnish with cherries and/or snipped fresh thyme sprigs.