Peachy Pork

Good old Martha never lets me down when it counts. I had to find a new recipe for my dinner party because all of my go to recipes had already been sampled by the parental units! I know you're not suppose to try a new recipe when having a party but Mr. Lawyer vetoed all my other meal choices. Luckily this one came out pretty well! The dried peaches added a nice punch of flavor but the glaze was essential for pouring over the individual pieces. I had never stuffed meat before and thought the directions were a bit confusing so I just looked up a video on youtube. It was easier than I thought: just slice carefully and flatten a bit with a rolling pin.

I wish I had taken more pictures of the process but I had too many things going on. Mastering this simple skills really opens up a lot of yummy looking recipes! I will definitely be keeping this recipe but between buying a 2.4 pound pork loin and the dried peaches ($5!!) it will only be a special occasion meal.

Peach-Stuffed Pork Loin

(from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups water
9 peaches, dried, or 6 ounces store-bought dried peaches
1 boneless pork loin (2 1/2 pounds), trimmed
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup peach jam
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Coarsely chop store-bought dried peaches if using. Add peaches to water; return to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand for 20 minutes. Remove peaches using a slotted spoon, and squeeze; reserve liquid.
2. Meanwhile, butterfly pork loin: Starting 3/4 inch from top of loin, make a horizontal cut into side, slicing through meat in short strokes and leaving about 1 inch intact at outer edge. Unfold meat (as if opening a book). Cut a vertical slit 3/4-inch deep at seam, and repeat to make a horizontal cut in the opposite direction. Pound to an even thickness with a meat mallet if needed.
3. Stir together a seasoning mixture of salt, pepper, and the cloves; sprinkle some over pork. Spread drained peaches over pork, leaving a 1-inch border on 1 short end. Roll up pork from short end to enclose filling. Tie together with kitchen twine to shape and hold in filling. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; dust with flour. Place in a roasting pan, seam side down.
4. Bring reserved soaking liquid, the jam, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer for 1 minute.
5. Roast pork for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 138 degrees, about 25 minutes more. Brush with glaze, and roast for 5 minutes more. Transfer pork to a platter; reserve juices in roasting pan. Let rest for 10 minutes. Brush with glaze again.
6. Pour accumulated pan juices into pot with glaze. Set roasting pan across 2 burners, and add remaining 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Add liquid and bits to glaze. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer sauce for 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice.
Untie pork; cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.