Holiday time is fast approaching and so is the need for special main dishes. Turkey and ham are the favorites but consider a stuffed pork loin roast. It's packed with chopped bacon, apples and pecans and topped with a Dijon mustard glaze.
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 c. chopped pecans
4 lb. pork loin roast
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. whole grainy Dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Filling:
In a large skillet, cook bacon; remove all but 1/2 T. grease. Add apples and shallots; cook until softened, 4 - 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes; stir in rosemary and pecans; season with salt and pepper.
Butterfly the Pork Loin:
Using a sharp knife, place the roast fat side up, with short end toward you. Position knife 3/4 inch from bottom of roast; cut into 1 inch toward center of pork. Lift up top half of pork; continue to make shallow horizontal cuts deeper into roast, unrolling top of pork while you cut, keeping knife parallel to cutting board to maintain the same thickness until pork unrolls to form a rectangle.
Season pork generously with salt and pepper. Spread the top all over with filling. Roll up the pork loin; tightly secure with kitchen twine.
Rub on the Dijon mustard.
Place roast in a roasting pan on a rack with fresh rosemary sprigs.
Bake until internal temperature registers 155 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour 25 minutes, basting with the pan juices.
Let roast rest 15 minutes before slicing, allowing the juices in the meat to redistribute and settle evenly throughout.
Serve.
6-8 servings.