quick roast
i made this dinner a little while ago as something easy while over at a friends house. roasts are generally great for feeding lots of people, but they aren’t always the cheapest. that’s why pork tenderloin is so great. pork is a very inexpensive meat, but if done right it still has all the flavour, and all the class of much more expensive meats. the tenderloin is the perfect cut, and can easily be stuffed with whatever is your fancy. stuffing pork tenderloin is a great way to experiment, and to feed a bunch of people pretty easily. so next time your stuck for meal options, give this a whirl, and even if you don’t have guests, it makes great leftovers.
pork tenderloin stuffed with spinach, goat cheese and pistachio
this recipe uses spinach and onions as the base filling, and then adds some creaminess with the goat cheese. the goat cheese will quickly melt, filling all the crevasses of the meat. this adds wonderful depth and keeps the meat moist. the pistachios were something i had never tried before, but i am glad i did. they balance the pork wonderfully, and have a deep, nutty, rich taste when roasted like this. they really take this roast to a new level.
ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin, centre cut
1/2 package of spinach, washed and de-stemmed
several large dollops of goat cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
preheat oven to 400 F. next begin to prep the pork tenderloin. bring to room temperature, and then score down centre. cut along entire length about 1/2 way down. carefully pull the tenderloin open and score each side so that you can entirely open up the tenderloin. lay between two pieces of parchment paper and with a rolling pin pound the tenderloin until flat. the flatter it is the faster it will cook. i stopped here about an inch. season the tenderloin and set aside.
meanwhile heat a frying pan with some olive oil, and when medium, add onions. sauté until translucent but not browned. add the washed and de-stemmed spinach allowing it to wilt. season with salt and pepper.
transfer contents to a strainer and allow some excess water to drain. crush the pistachios. i find the best way to do this is by placing them in a ziploc bag and hitting them with the butt of my hand or the bottom of a pot.
in a bowl mix together spinach, onions, pistachios, goat cheese, and dijon mustard. spoon into pork tenderloin and carefully roll up. tie up the tenderloin, which you can learn to do here. season the entire roast with salt and pepper.
heat an oven friendly frying pan over medium-high heat with some olive oil. brown the meat on all sides (2-3 minutes/side) and then transfer to the oven. roast for about 25-30 minutes, less if your pork was pounded thinner.
allow the pork to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. this lets the juices settle and makes sure they end up in your meal and not on your cutting board.
now its time to carve up the roast and serve. this time we served with some roasted vegetables and sweet potato fries.
enjoy.
