Stuffed pork loin
This recipe is a variation I had in an Italian restaurant. The original used large chops, but I found them quite fatty and I wasted quite a lot of the meal. For this reason, I plumped for leaner loin chops which were a touch less expensive, healthier and less wasteful if you dont like fatty meat.
The recipe uses apricots to give the dish a sweet tang which can be overwhelmed by garlic, so go a bit easy on that ingredient.
You will need;
Pork loins, lardons or three rashers of thick smoked bacon, a pack of prosciutto, a handful of walnuts, a clove of garlic, a bunch of sage - dried is ok, 80g butter, six plump apricots, salt and pepper. For the saute potatoes you need about 300g floury spuds per person.
METHOD:
Peel and cut the potato into 20mm cubes and par-boil for three of four minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry. Place on baking tray with gradely splash of olive oil, salt, pepper and the lardons or bacon cut into 10mm strips. Roast at 200c giving a shake now and then to get all surfaces browned.
Make a paste by whizzing the butter, a clove of garlic, a dozen sage leaves (or half a tsp dried), the apricots and half a tsp of peppercorns.
Make a deep pocket in the loins with a sharp knife and stuff with chopped proscuitto and crushed walnuts, held in place with a dab of the apricot butter.
Slather the butter on the pork and fry in a hot pan to give some colour. Transfer on top of the saute potatoes which should be all but done by now, and finish in the oven for eight to 10 minutes.
Serve with French beans and a glass of dry Orvieto.
Bueno Apetito!
