Good day, all. I’m so happy the work week is almost over. I’ve just been so busy, between work, school, and community involvements. Oh, it’s rough being a small-town socialite. I’m certainly looking forward to football on Saturday, though! The Duke and I are having people over all day to cheer on the SEC. Of course I’ll be making lots of goodies, and I’ll definitely share with you soon. The highlight of my week by far was being listed as the Featured Member on Tasty Kitchen. If you haven’t visited this site, you must do so soon! It’s basically a community forum, similar to Facebook, but it’s all about user-submitted recipes. You create a profile and can even have friends, but you also submit your own recipes. It’s like one giant recipe swap with thousands of foodies. I highly recommend you become a member. Ree Drummond, AKA The Pioneer Woman, created the site, so you know it’s a good one. Hurry and visit before this week is over. You’ll have the privilege of seeing my shining face on the front page, and honestly, what more could you ask for?
Onto the food. My mom gave me a beautiful two-pound pork tenderloin a few weeks ago, so I’ve been stewing over what to do with it. Wasn’t that nice of her? Pork as a present. That’s just how we roll in the Dirty South. Anyhoo, I knew I wanted to stuff it, so that’s just what I did. Sauteed some onions with rosemary, threw in some dried cranberries and feta cheese, and the rest was history. I know stuffing a tenderloin sounds scary and time-consuming, but it’s really not. Think of it as a science project. You get to butterfly the pork, stuff it with cheesy goodness, and tie it back up again. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to performing brain surgery. Sorry that I just compared cooking to surgery. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I’ll go now. But seriously, this pork’s the stuff!
Cranberry and Feta-Stuffed Loin of Pork
Ingredients
- 1 (2 lb.) Pork Tenderloin
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp. salt, divided
- 2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, divided
- 2 small onions, sliced thin
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
- Butcher’s Twine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- On a clean flat surface, butterfly the pork tenderloin, careful not to cut all the way through. Rub pork with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and one tsp. each of salt and pepper.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining tbsp. of olive oil and onions, season with remaining salt and pepper. Sautee onions for about 10 minutes, or until they become soft and translucent.
- Add cranberries and cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl combine onions and cranberries with feta and rosemary. Toss to combine.
- Stuff entire onion mixture into the middle of the pork loin. Fold up tightly and secure in about 6 places with butcher’s twine.
- Re-heat same skillet over medium-high heat and brown pork on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Place pork in prepared casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes, turning once half-way through.
- Allow pork to rest on cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serves 6
Pre-Cooked Pork…I just love that pink color!
Fresh out of the oven, patiently waiting to be cut. What a nice little loin.
This pork loin will be wonderful for your holiday entertaining. You could easily double the recipe and stuff two loins for a larger crowd. Thanks for visiting, and have a wonderful day! The Duchess
