Who knew homemade food could be this good? This stuffed pork loin recipe perfectly embodies the comforting delight of homemade food yet still offers a luxurious, fine-dining quality. Once it's on the table, your meal is a guaranteed success.
Is Stuffed Pork Loin Healthy?
While hearty food like this may give the impression that it's heavy and unhealthy, we've made sure that the ingredients and their amounts are still kept within acceptable limits. Set by our nutrition guidelines, each serving offers 463 calories, 7.6 g saturated fat, and 575 mg sodium. This ensures that the dish is healthy without compromising on the flavors.
Moreover, with pork as the main ingredient, this dish provides nearly 37 g protein. Additionally, this meat is also a rich source of many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins B12 and B6, selenium, zinc, heme iron, etc.
Accompanying the protein-rich meat are mushrooms and mashed potatoes. They add fiber for a more well-rounded nutritional profile, as well as copper, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron.
Main Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this scrumptious dish:
- Pork
We use pork tenderloin for this recipe, which is tender and lean with a mild taste. You can, of course, use pork loin as well.
- Potatoes
Although not compulsory, we do think that mashed potatoes would make great companion for the hearty, flavor-packed dish. It balances out the flavors and adds a filling element.
- Mushrooms
For this recipe, we used white mushrooms. The mushrooms' umami taste is beautifully complementary to the meat's savory richness.
- Bacon
The tiny bits of bacon are one of the main allures of this dish. Smoky and salty, it's the indulgence that takes this dish up a notch.
- Aromatics
As always, we count on the power dynamic—onion and garlic—plus a little bit of shallot, to give the filling a fragrant, slightly peppery undertone.
- Seasonings
We used salt, pepper, paprika, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder to infuse the filling with a subtly spicy, savory taste.
- Dairy products
Milk and heavy cream were used to make the mashed potatoes, giving it that signature creamy, luscious texture.
What Else Can I Stuff the Pork With?
- Spinach and cream cheese
This dynamic duo often works its magic in chicken breasts, but you might find it to be just as enticing in pork loin. Its earthy, creamy goodness is a striking contrast against the deep, savory meat, and that's what makes it so good.
- Apple, mustard, and nuts
A culmination of mismatched flavors that go together surprisingly well, this combination infuses the meat with a diverse range of flavors. It's a strange sort of complexity, one that will have everyone mesmerized from the start.
- Sun-dried tomatoes and pesto
How about switching things up with an Italian flair? Pesto brings a herby vibrancy, made all the more enticing by the tomatoes' tangy, smoky touch. Throw in some Italian seasonings and perhaps a sprinkle of cheese and you're good to go!
What to Serve This Dish With
Since a side of mashed potatoes is already included, you won't need much to complete the meal. Toss up a salad for some freshness to balance out the main course's big flavors. You might find our Lyonnaise Salad, Beet and Feta Cheese Salad, and Mushroom Salad to be appropriate choices. A bowl of mushroom soup is just as good for tying everything together.
How to Store & Reheat
There are two ways to store the leftovers:
- In the fridge: You can store the uneaten stuffed pork in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- In the freezer: Put it in freezer-safe containers and keep it for up to 2 months. Write the date outside, so you’ll know how long it’s been since you started freezing it. You can defrost it by placing it in the fridge for 24 hours or until completely thawed.
As for reheating, you can do so in the microwave, oven, or air-fryer until thoroughly heated.
How to make Stuffed Pork Loin
Roasted pork loin is good enough as it is, but stuffed with a savory, smoky filling and it's downright irresistible. These stuffed pork loins are what dreams are made of, and you can bring them to life right in the comforts of your kitchen.
- by Luna Regina, 2024-04-12
- cook TIME 1 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 1 hr 10 mins
- COURSE Main dish
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 463 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 20 oz pork tenderloin
- 1 oz raw cured bacon (sliced into bite-sized pieces)
- 20 oz potato (sliced into medium-sized cubes)
- 8 oz shiitake mushroom (sliced into thick strips)
- 4 oz white mushroom (sliced)
- 1 oz shallot (finely diced)
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 4 oz onion (diced)
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Tenderize the pork loin: Lay 20 pork tenderloin flat on a chopping board, cover it with plastic wrap, and repeatedly pound it to flatness with a sturdy cooking utensil.
Butterfly the pork loin: Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise slit down the center of the center, about 3/4 of the way through so that the meat cut is sliced in half but still connected.
Season the pork loin: Dry rub 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning and 1/2 tsp paprika all over the pork loin.
Microwave the potatoes: Microwave 20 oz potato into a microwave-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
Cook the bacon: On a pan over medium heat, throw in 1 oz raw cured bacon and cook for less than a minute.
Sweat the aromatics: Proceed to throw 1 oz shallot, 1 tbsp garlic, and 4 oz onion, and sauté for around 1 minute until fragrant.
Add 4 oz white mushrooms and 8 oz shiitake mushrooms with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and stir for around 3 minutes until browned.
Process the fillings: Once done, take the food off the heat and put it into a food processor. Process until finely minced.
Stuff the pork loin: Spread the pork loin onto a chopping board with a string laid underneath it (preferably near the top) and scoop the fillings into its center.
Wrap the pork loin: Roll the pork loin then use the string to tightly secure it.
Sear the pork loin: Preheat the oven to 400 °F to prepare for step 12. In the meantime, on a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and wait for it to heat up. Then, add the stuffed pork loin and sear it for around 10 - 12 minutes. Turn until all the sides are browned.
Roast the pork loin: In an oven heated at 400 °F, roast the pork loin for around 20 - 30 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, stick it into the meat and check for an internal temperature of around 145 °F.
Mash the potatoes: While waiting for the pork to roast, use a masher to mash the microwaved potatoes.
Cook it on the pan: Add it to a hot pan along with 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter. Lightly stir around until well mixed.
Add the dairy products: Add 1/4 cup whole milk and 2 tbsp heavy cream, lower the heat, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the potatoes become smooth and thick.
Garnish and serve: When the time's up, remove the stuffed pork loin from the pan, let it sit for a few minutes, then slice it into medium-sized rolls and serve alongside the mashed potatoes. Garnish with 2 tbsp parsley.
NUTRITION
Luna Regina
Writer, Author