Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients

• 1 boneless pork loin
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup panko or homemade breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup peeled, chopped tart green apples
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. To butterfly the pork loin, set the roast on a cutting board with the fat facing down. You’ll see that 1 long side is thicker than the other. With a sharp knife, begin at the thinner long side and cut lengthwise about 1 inch or so in from the edge, holding the knife at about a 45 degrees angle and stopping 1/2 inch before you cut all the way through.
2. Turn the blade so it lies flat and runs parallel to the board, then continue with small, careful slices along that same path.
3. As you work, fold the upper portion back as if you’re opening a book. Continue cutting slowly and evenly until the roast has opened out fully. With the pork spread open, lay 2 layers of plastic wrap over it.
4. Use a meat mallet to pound the roast until it is fairly even in thickness. Lift off the plastic wrap, season the pork with salt and pepper, and set it aside.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the panko and stock. Add the apples, walnuts, cranberries, shallots, maple syrup and rosemary, and mix until combined.
6. Spoon the filling across the pork, keeping a 1 inch margin on every side except the side with the fat layer, where you should leave a 2-inch margin.
7. Begin rolling from the end of the pork rectangle that does not have the fat layer underneath, and roll the roast up around the filling.
8. Tie the roast with cotton kitchen string at 1 to 2 inch intervals to hold it together.
9. If you’re preparing it ahead, you can wrap the tied roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate it at this stage. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with cooking spray or a little olive oil. Set the roast in the pan and roast at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes so the top browns, then lower the oven to 325 degrees F. Continue roasting, uncovered, for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the pork registers 140 degrees F inside.
10. Cover the roast loosely with foil and let it stand for 10 minutes. Cut away the kitchen string, then slice the pork into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Save the pan drippings and serve them with the pork, or use them to make gravy.