Apple, Cranberry and Pecan Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
597 days ago
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The flavors and aromatics of this Apple, Cranberry and Pecan Stuffed Pork Tenderloin remind me why I love cooking in the fall. It is elegant and delicious for a holiday meal (turkey, move over), yet easy enough to be a weeknight dinner.
How to Make the Stuffed Tenderloin
The stuffing for this recipe includes flavors that epitomize fall. Dried cranberries, Granny Smith apple, mushrooms and onion.
For cutting the dried fruit and the apple, Cutco’s 4" Gourmet Paring Knife is what I use. Make sure to cut the fruit into a small dice to make it easier to stuff.
Dice the onion with a larger prep knife, like the 7-5/8" Petite Chef knife and dice the mushrooms with a utility knife, like Cutco’s Santoku-Style Trimmer.
You can also cut the parsley with the Petite Chef. For best results, make sure the parsley is dry before chopping.
For tips on how to cut parsley, take a look at Cutco’s handy tutorial.
How to Stuff the Tenderloin
Instead of butterflying the pork, I like to create a hole in the center of the tenderloin, using the handle of a long wooden spoon. Insert it into the center of the thick end of the meat and carefully push it through to the other end. Roll the meat to slightly widen the hole to make room for the stuffing.
Once stuffed, seal the ends with toothpicks.
Seasoning, searing and high heat roasting provides a truly tender and tasty tenderloin.
Pork is best served with a slightly pink center, so there is no need to worry about modern day pork needing to be cooked well-done (and sadly dry!). Use a meat thermometer to get up to 130 F, and then the carry-over cooking while resting will bring it up to proper serving temperature.
Another way to serve this dish is to skip the stuffing step all together and instead serve the apple, mushroom mixture atop the spiced and seared tenderloin, drizzled with the sauce.
I think you will find that this Apple, Cranberry and Pecan Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is the perfect meal experience for all. I love serving it because my family and guests love the aromatics and the eating experience!
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries or tart cherries
- 1/4 cup full-bodied dry red wine
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into fine dice
- 1/4 cup finely diced crimini or shiitake mushrooms
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons chicken stock or water
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon P.S. Flavor!™ Mai Chai, or ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon P.S. Flavor!™ Creole Kitchen, or kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, divided
- One 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons P.S. Flavor!™ Warm Winter, or kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup lower sodium chicken stock
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix the dried fruit with the wine to soften and plump.
- Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a large ovenproof skillet and heat on medium, add the apple and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes, adding chicken stock or water as needed if the pan dries out. Add the garlic, Mai Chai, Creole seasoning and toasted pecans, and continue to sauté for 30 seconds.
- Drain the dried fruit, reserving the wine. Stir 1/2 of the fruit and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley into the apple, onion, and garlic in the skillet, reserving remaining for the sauce. Transfer to a plate to cool. Wipe out the skillet.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Insert a sharpening steel or the handle of a wooden spoon into the thick end of the tenderloin. Carefully push the steel through the tenderloin and roll the meat to widen the hole slightly. Stuff the tenderloin with the fruit mixture and seal the ends with toothpicks.
- Heat a skillet and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Season the pork all over with Warm Winter and brown it in the skillet over high heat, turning, for about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the meat for 10 minutes until temperature reaches 130 F. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add the reserved wine to the skillet and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits, until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup of the fruit mixture and season with remaining Creole seasoning, or salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon minced parsley.
- Slice the tenderloin crosswise 1/2 inch thick and serve with the sauce. Garnishing with additional parsley, as desired.
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