PALEO ROASTED STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN
The first time I made this, I really thought I had my act together. We had some friends coming over for dinner, so I prepped everything ahead of time and had the tenderloins all rolled and ready long before anyone showed up. Once our guests arrived I stuck the tenderloins in the oven, turned on my meat thermometer alarm, and sat down to chat with my friend Michele while her husband Todd played with the kids outside. Easy peasy right? Wrong.
We chatted and we laughed...and at one point I thought "wow that meat sure is taking a long time to cook"....but I knew my handy dandy meat thermometer would alert me as soon as it was done. After a while....a long while....I decided to go over and check the thermometer to see how far along the meat was. But instead of showing me a temperature, all I saw was three dashes.... Uh Oh. Unbeknownst to me, the thermometer had decided to stop working sometime during my attempt at making a fabulous dinner, and when I opened the oven door and peeked in, I saw two very very overcooked pieces of pork peering back at me. Sadly I had no Plan B, so I forced my friends and their sweet children to eat my burnt entree, which they oh so graciously did without even complaining. I blame the thermometer and Michele's fantastic conversation skills for my blunder.
But now, with new meat thermometer in hand, I am finally able to redeem myself! Victory is mine!!! Well it will be once I can convince Michele and Todd to give me another chance and come back for dinner again.....Still working on that.
We chatted and we laughed...and at one point I thought "wow that meat sure is taking a long time to cook"....but I knew my handy dandy meat thermometer would alert me as soon as it was done. After a while....a long while....I decided to go over and check the thermometer to see how far along the meat was. But instead of showing me a temperature, all I saw was three dashes.... Uh Oh. Unbeknownst to me, the thermometer had decided to stop working sometime during my attempt at making a fabulous dinner, and when I opened the oven door and peeked in, I saw two very very overcooked pieces of pork peering back at me. Sadly I had no Plan B, so I forced my friends and their sweet children to eat my burnt entree, which they oh so graciously did without even complaining. I blame the thermometer and Michele's fantastic conversation skills for my blunder.
But now, with new meat thermometer in hand, I am finally able to redeem myself! Victory is mine!!! Well it will be once I can convince Michele and Todd to give me another chance and come back for dinner again.....Still working on that.
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Ingredients:
TENDERLOIN:
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 2 1/2 pounds altogether)
- 4 slices bacon (and bacon fat created from cooking the bacon)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
- 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt (divided)
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper (divided)
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 cups fresh spinach
LEMON PARSLEY OIL:
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- Dash ground black pepper
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Large skillet
- Stirring spoon
- Meat mallet
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Toothpicks (soaked in water for 10 minutes)
- Oven mitts
- Small mixing bowl
- Spoon or whisk
- Meat thermometer
- Aluminum foil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F with oven rack set in the middle of the oven.
2. Cut your onions and mushrooms. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Set bacon aside and keep the bacon fat in the pan.
3. Using the same pan, add the onion, mushrooms, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, fresh thyme and rosemary and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally Next add the garlic and spinach and toss to coat. Cook for another 2 minutes until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Butterfly the pork tenderloins by cutting down the middle length of each one but not cutting it all of the way through, and spread the meat flat (like you are opening a book).
5. Cover the tenderloins with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp. sea salt and 1/2 tsp. ground pepper on the tenderloins.
6. Spread the spinach mixture over the two tenderloins evenly and spread it to reach the sides. Crumble the bacon and add it on top of the mixture. Roll the tenderloin, starting at the narrow end, and secure with toothpicks. Place the tenderloins in a roasting pan.
7. Cook the tenderloins for 45 minutes, or until the inside reaches 145F on a meat thermometer.
8. While the tenderloins are cooking, make the lemon oil by combining all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and stirring with a spoon or whisk. Set aside.
9. When the pork is done, transfer is to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 10 minutes, lightly covered in aluminum foil. Remove the toothpicks and slice the pork rolls. Serve with the lemon sauce.
TENDERLOIN:
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 2 1/2 pounds altogether)
- 4 slices bacon (and bacon fat created from cooking the bacon)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
- 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt (divided)
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper (divided)
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 cups fresh spinach
LEMON PARSLEY OIL:
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- Dash ground black pepper
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Large skillet
- Stirring spoon
- Meat mallet
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Toothpicks (soaked in water for 10 minutes)
- Oven mitts
- Small mixing bowl
- Spoon or whisk
- Meat thermometer
- Aluminum foil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F with oven rack set in the middle of the oven.
2. Cut your onions and mushrooms. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Set bacon aside and keep the bacon fat in the pan.
3. Using the same pan, add the onion, mushrooms, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, fresh thyme and rosemary and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally Next add the garlic and spinach and toss to coat. Cook for another 2 minutes until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Butterfly the pork tenderloins by cutting down the middle length of each one but not cutting it all of the way through, and spread the meat flat (like you are opening a book).
5. Cover the tenderloins with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp. sea salt and 1/2 tsp. ground pepper on the tenderloins.
6. Spread the spinach mixture over the two tenderloins evenly and spread it to reach the sides. Crumble the bacon and add it on top of the mixture. Roll the tenderloin, starting at the narrow end, and secure with toothpicks. Place the tenderloins in a roasting pan.
7. Cook the tenderloins for 45 minutes, or until the inside reaches 145F on a meat thermometer.
8. While the tenderloins are cooking, make the lemon oil by combining all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and stirring with a spoon or whisk. Set aside.
9. When the pork is done, transfer is to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 10 minutes, lightly covered in aluminum foil. Remove the toothpicks and slice the pork rolls. Serve with the lemon sauce.