Pork tenderloin is one of our favorite cuts of meat to cook. Lots of flavor and super easy. Normally I just season with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill.I decided to up this a notch and stuff it with an apple based stuffing. Good decision!! This turned out excellent and was not too difficult.
Gather up the goodies and chop away. The dried apricots add great flavor to go along with the apples.
To make the stuffing heat the olive oil over medium low heat, toss in the apple and onion. saute for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the garlic and saute another 1 minute.Stir in dried apricots and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Add the apple cider and bring to boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cider is absorbed by the stuffing. This took about 5 minutes. Let cool.
While the stuff is cooling, butterfly the tenderloin. Make a slit down its length but do not cut all the way through. Open it up like a book and pound to about 1/2 inch thickness. I just put a piece of plastic wrap over the pork and pound with a kitchen mallet. Spoon the stuffing evenly on the meat.
Close up the pork and tie with kitchen string in even intervals. If any of that tasty stuffing tries to escape just push it back in. Place on a baking sheet, season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 cup apple cider over the pork. Time to toss this bad boy on the #traeger, at 350 degrees.
Grill for about 30 minutes, basting with the pan sauce. Add another 1/2 cup of cider and cook until the internal temp is 145 degrees. Maybe 15 minutes more. Keep an eye on the temp that is the best way to know when it is done. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
Slice the pork and transfer to warmed platter and enjoy! Once you try this you will make it again. Cheers!
For the stuffing:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped Golden Delicious
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup apple cider
For the pork:
1 pork tenderloin,
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup apple cider, plus more as needed
Directions:
To make the stuffing, in a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the apple and onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the dried apricots, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Add the apple cider and boil, stirring occasionally, until the cider is absorbed by the stuffing, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Butterfly the pork loin by making a slit down its length, cutting just deep enough so that the loin opens up to lie flat like a book. Do not cut all the way through. Spoon the stuffing evenly onto the meat. Close up the loin and, using the strings, tie at even intervals so it assumes its original shape. Push in any stuffing that escapes from the ends. Sprinkle the surface with the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place the loin in a baking pan and add 1/2 cup of the cider to the pan.
Grill for about 30 minutes, basting with the pan sauce. Add another 1/2 cup of cider and cook until the internal temp is 145 degrees. Maybe 15 minutes more. Keep an eye on the temp that is the best way to know when it is done. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve.