Stuffed Pork Loin

sdbelt

Inspired again by Mr. Toad's recipe for Stuff Pork Loin, I again gave it a shot. I started with a 4 lb Pork Loin (not tenderloin). This was the smallest one I could find. I then sliced it to about 1/2" thick, but it was still in one piece, so that it would roll up (vs. Mr. Toad's method of 3 slices as a layer). I like this method of slicing, so thanks to whomever suggested this to me before. Once cut, I pounded it down as well.[p]The next thing I did was brine the loin. Starting with a 50/50 mix of apple juice and water, I added a 75/25 mix of salt and sugar. The loin soaked in this for over 3 hours.[p]Started up the fire with a target of 325, but the Egg wanted 350, so that's where I cooked at.[p]I rolled blackberries and minced apple into the loin. Then tied it and put it on the Egg. Cooked it to 160 internal (a bit overcooked, but I was distracted by family calling long distance) which took over 60 minutes.[p]Other than being slightly overcooked, the other problem was that the brine made the loin taste hammy. That's sure a shame. I thought the sugar and apple juice would have had a stronger effect, but the salt won out. If I brine again, I'll need to cut that salt by at least 50%.[p]Still, I like this fruit mix of blackberry and apple. The blackberries are a bit expensive ($3.50 for the can), but being from Oregon, it's a treat to have a recipe to use them. Aside from the hammy flavor of the loin, and the slight over-cook (5-10 degrees past perfect), the loin was tender, cuts with a fork, and was good. I'll eat the whole thing for sure.[p]Net result: [p] o Fig and banana are still not on my recommended list.
o Apple gets added with blackberry to my recommended list.
o Haven't tried any nuts yet.
o Salty brines yield hammy result.
o Rolled loin makes for a less messy cook.
o 160 internal temp is too high for pork loin.
o Wrapping in bacon (though still a great idea), is less important when the loin is rolled.[p]Enjoy![p]--sdb

BBQfan1

sdbelt, I've posted it before, but never as a new thread, only as a response to an existing post; using that same rolling method for a pork loin, sometime you may wish to try a 'tapendade' of smoked olives, pureed along with some garlic, black pepper, white wine and maybe some oregano and/or red pepper flakes. Tie it, season with whatever turns your crank and cook indirect at 300-325 or so, with some pecan for smoke. I usually pull it when it gets into the low 140's internal. To smoke the olives, I have a preference for brined kalamatas, but green queens or large black olives are also nice (or a combo of all these).
I don't brine the pork ahead of time; there's no less worked piece of meat on the hog than any of the loin cuts, so I don't find it necessary.
The blackberry and apple idea sounds worthy of a cook! Apple or cherry wood.... Maybe some cinnamon in with that apple? Or perhaps a warm applebutter glaze.....??
Qfan

ravnhaus

sdbelt,
Blackberries! Excellent idea!!!
The possibilities are great indeed.
I have been thinking of trying strawberry preserves with crushed pecans.[p]

Mop

BBQfan1,I forgot to ask you how you enjoyed the pheasant yesterday.[p]Mop

Grumpa

sdbelt,[p]WOW.....some really great ideas and input. I may have to give this method a try. I did one of Mr. Toad's a couple of years ago and it came out excellent and was a big hit. Your's sounds just as tempting and I'll heed your comments as well.[p]Thanks for the review.

BBQfan1

Mop,
Glorified chicken to these unrefined tastebuds, but the glaze/drizzle sauce of maple syrup and hot morita chiles was really really nice; you'd have liked it.
See that I'm still peddling that smoked olive tapenade, eh? LOL Dang, I'm gonna keep it up too, til someone here tries it!
Qfan

ColoradoCook

sdbelt,[p]Here's a visual of how I think you butterflied your pork loin. This method has worked great for me. [p]http://www.porktimes.org/prep_dbl_butter.htm[p]I'm definitely trying your raspberry and apple filling. Were the apples fresh? Also, do you trim the fat off before rolling. If you cook a whole loin, the fat is on the outside. When you roll it, a lot of the fat goes on the inside and your left carving the fat out while eating. It wasn't appealing to me, but I'm also aware that the fat adds flavor. Thoughts?[p]CC

BBQfan1

ColoradoCook,
Hmmm, that may be sdbelt's method, but what I've used is to start 3/4 way down the roast, cut horizontally almost all the way through the width of it, then flip the bulk of the roast over. Start 3/4 way down the bulk of roast, go almost all the way thru, flip, repeat if necessary. That way, after you apply your filling/stuffing, you can then reassemble the roast exactly the way it was; the small fat cap will back on top. Hard to picture, but imagine unfurling a roll of carpet, then winding back up.
Qfan

Citizen Q

sdbelt,
If you're referring to my spiral slicing method, you are welcome. Although maybe not, I don't brine and I use a proscuitto, capicola and provolone with garlic, pesto, spinach and pine nut stuffing. Try wrapping in center cut bacon for even less messy results. I usually pull it at 145 int and let it rest for 10 minutes, it'll come up over 150 by itself on the counter, but I do tell the wife that the thermo read 170, she frets about these things.[p]One of these days I'll hafta take the training wheels off and experiment with this berry method, it sounds good. [p]C~Q

WooDoggies

BBQfan1,[p]Alright, you've got me curious enough to try it. Would you relate your method for smoking olives? I'm never without a black olive tapenade in the fridge but none of them are smoked... and a savory filling in pork loin appeals to me a lot more than a sweet filling.
The last stuffed loin I made was with figs and though it was good, it was simply too rich for my tastes. Yours sounds right up my alley.
Thanks.[p]WD

BBQfan1

WooDoggies,
If you have a prepared olive tapenade, then you can just go ahead and spread it on the 'sheet' of pork after you cut it open. If you want to go with the smoked olives, get a small fire going in the Egg, set about 160 or lower if possible (I do up a fire with only 10-15 pieces of lump; no law saying that it has to fill the firebox!). Add chips or chunk of dry applewood (preferred; hickory or pecan next choice). Put the drained olives on a baking sheet on top of firebricks. Let smoke for 2 hrs or so, depending on the heat you were able to achieve. When olives start to shrivel and wrinkle a bit and you can see the salt from brine starting to dry on surface of olives, you are there.
Pit the olives (if you can't find pitted queen variety), and process with ingredients listed in the post above. If it's too thick to smear on the sheet of pork loin, a few tablespoons of olive oil with make it spreadable. There is a recipe for smoked olives in Smoke & Spice, but I find that the other flavours they add (capers, white wine and others) take away from the basic olive & smoke combination. Add them while you're processing the tapenade if you wish, not while smoking.
Give it a shot and let me know what you think......
The olives are nice on their own, served a little warm, along with a couple pints of your favourite malted beverage!
Qfan

WooDoggies

BBQfan1,
excellent excellent excellent.
There are few things finer than a meal of good olives, crusty bread, a hard cheese and a nice red wine.
I think those olives will do just fine on their own or rolled up in a loin. You da man.
WD

sdbelt

BBQfan1,[p]What you said...I did exactly the same. I did remove the fat cap and membrane from the side which had it, which was the most difficult part of the prep.[p]--sdb

sdbelt

BBQfan1,[p]I guess I did forget a couple of details: I did do it indirect, and I did use apple as my smoking wood. To be honest, I don't like olives, so I doubt I'll try this method exactly, but you do highlight some more variations that are appealing.[p]--sdb

sdbelt

ColoradoCook,[p]I needed only one medium red apple. It was fresh (basically, I wouldn't have cared for it, but it was perfect for baking). I did remove the skin from the apple, and then minced it.[p]
Answered the fat question with BBQFan1's response.[p]--sdb

sdbelt

<p />A picture's worth a thousand words, right?[p]--sdb

Nature Boy

sdbelt,
Yum. Breakfast!