Apricot Cumin Stuffed Pork For Two Recipes

APRICOT-STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the roast to within 1/2 in. of bottom. Open roast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. Remove wrap; sprinkle with cheese, apricots, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne., Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long end. Tie at 1-1/2- to 2-inch intervals with kitchen string; secure ends with toothpicks. Transfer to an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Brush tenderloin with butter. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

APRICOT-STUFFED SPICE-RUBBED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Combine apricots and capers; set aside. Trim fat from pork. Cut a 1-1/2-inch-wide horizontal slit into the end of pork; cut through to the other end of pork to form a deep pocket using a long, thin knife. Spoon apricot mixture into pocket; pack using the handle of a wooden spoon. Rub surface of pork with cumin mixture. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert meat thermometer into thickest portion of pork. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 55 minutes or until thermometer registers 160 degrees (slightly pink).

APPLE-STUFFED PORK LOIN WITH CORIANDER, CUMIN AND CINNAMON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it starts to foam, add the apples, onion and all the spices, along with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and onion are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wriggle a thin, sharp knife into each end of the meat, making a kind of pilot hole. Then use the handle of a long wooden spoon to force a hole all the way through the loin. Wriggle the spoon to make the hole as wide as you can. Stuff the apple and onion mixture into the roast from each end, all the way to the center. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper.
• Roast on a rack in a large roasting pan for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 325. Continue to roast, basting with apple juice about every 15 minutes or so. If the liquid accumulates on the bottom of the pan, use it to baste; if not, add more juice.
• Start checking the roast after 45 minutes of total cooking time (large roasts can take up to 1.5 hours). When it's done, an instant-read thermometer will register 145. Remove the roast and set it on a platter.
• Put the roasting pan on the stove over one or two burners on medium-high heat. If there is a lot of liquid, reduce it to about .75 cup, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan; if the pan is dry, add 1 cup of apple juice and follow the same process. When the sauce has reduced some, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter if you like. Spoon the sauce over the roast, slice and serve.

APRICOT-GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN FOR TWO

Steps:

• Place pork in a shallow pan. Combine the oil, salt and pepper; rub over pork., Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; spoon over pork. Bake 10-17 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 145°, basting occasionally with pan juices. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

ROAST PORK WITH APRICOT AND SHALLOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make stuffing:
• Cut just enough bread into 1/3-inch pieces to measure 1 cup and spread evenly in a shallow baking pan. Toast bread in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Leave oven on (for pork).
• Cook shallots in butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add apricots and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bread, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Stuff and roast pork:
• Make a hole for stuffing that runs lengthwise through pork loin: Beginning in middle of 1 end of roast, insert a sharp long thin knife lengthwise toward center of loin, then repeat at opposite end of loin to complete incision running through middle.
• Open up incision with your fingers, working from both ends, to create a 1 1/2-inch-wide opening, then pack with all of stuffing, pushing from both ends toward center.
• Pat pork dry and and season well with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until very hot and just smoking, then brown pork on all sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in middle of oven until a meat thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into meat (avoid stuffing) registers 160°F, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 20 minutes.
• While loin is standing, straddle roasting pan across 2 burners. Add 1/2 cup water and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits.
• Slice meat and serve with sauce.

APRICOT-GLAZED STUFFED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Make a pocket in the pork loin by slicing down the center, season with salt and fresh pepper; place in a greased shallow baking pan.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the celery and onion until tender.
• Add the dried apricots or cherries and the stuffing croutons; stir in the chicken broth or water.
• Spoon the stuffing losely into the pork loin pocket.
• Save any extra stuffing for baking in the pan the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
• Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the apricot preserves, mustard, rosemary and garlic.
• Spread this mixture over the pork loin and add any extra stuffing mix.
• Return the pan to the 325 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow loin to rest 10 minutes before slicing.

APRICOT-STUFFED PORK WITH POTATOES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together potatoes, brussels sprouts, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, tossing once.
• Meanwhile, combine apricots, shallot, and jam in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Place pork on a work surface. Holding a chef's knife parallel to work surface, make a pocket by cutting lengthwise down center of tenderloin, stopping about 1/2 inch from other side (avoid cutting all the way through). Open, and stuff with apricot mixture. Spacing evenly, tie 3 to 4 pieces of kitchen twine around pork to close pocket. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove baking sheet from the oven when sprouts and potatoes have roasted 15 minutes. Toss, and push to sides of baking sheet, then place pork in center. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest park of pork (avoiding stuffing) registers 145 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

PORK CHOPS WITH APRICOT-ALMOND STUFFING

Steps:

• Mix together apricots, almonds, parsley, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cut a 2-inch slit into the side of each pork chop using a paring knife, cutting through to the bone to form a pocket. Fill each pocket with 2 tablespoons apricot stuffing, and press to flatten. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear pork chops until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add 1/2 cup stock. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer pork chops to plates using a slotted spatula.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup stock to skillet; raise heat to high, and simmer, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vinegar; simmer for 30 seconds. Strain sauce through a fine sieve, and drizzle over pork.

ROSEMARY-SCENTED PORK LOIN STUFFED WITH ROASTED GARLIC, DRIED APRICOTS AND CRANBERRIES AND PORT WINE PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add whole garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; reserve oil.
• Turn pork loin fat-side down. Slit lengthwise, almost but not quite all the way through, to form a long pocket, leaving a 1/2-inch border of unslit meat at each end. Brush cavity with some of the reserved garlic cooking oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and 1 Tb. of the rosemary. Line cavity with sauteed garlic and apricots; sprinkle in cranberries. Tie loin together with kitchen twine or heavy-duty string at 1 1/2-inch intervals.
• Brush with remaining oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Set roast, fat-side up, diagonally or curved (so it fits) on a large, lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Warm 1/4 cup apple jelly along with the minced garlic and remaining rosemary. Brush mixture onto meat.
• Roast until a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 125 to 130 degrees. (Start checking at about 1 1/2 hours.) Remove from oven; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush loin with pan drippings, return to oven, and continue to roast until the loin is golden brown and a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 20 minutes longer. For even more attractive coloring, broil until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Let roast rest 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a carving board. Stir juices around pan to loosen brown bits. Pour through a strainer into a small pan, and stir in port, chicken broth and remaining 2 Tbs. of jelly; bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water; whisk into sauce. Simmer until lightly thickened. Slice pork and serve with a little sauce.

APRICOT & CUMIN STUFFED PORK FOR TWO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6.
• Lightly toast the cumin seeds in a frying pan.
• Tip into a blender with the apricots and whizz until chopped, but not smooth.
• Slice the pork fillet in half horizontally, not cutting through completely, and open it like a book.
• Season the mean to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, spread the cumin-apicot mixture along the center of the fillet, then fold themeat back to envelop the stuffing.
• Heat the oil in a pan and brown the meat on all sides for about 5 minutes.
• Remove the pork (Keep the pan as is with juices and lovely bits, as you will be using it shortly) and place on a roasting try and cover loosly with aluminum foil.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly pink.
• Meanwhile, add the wine and rosemary to the previously used pan (containing all the love and the juices) and bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 5 minutes or until you have a sauce.
• Remove the meat from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before carving into slices.
• Pour/add any remaining juices from the roasting tray into the sauce and mix well, remove the rosemary and pour over the stuffed pork slices when ready to serve.
• Enjoy!