I absolutely LOVE stuffing pork roasts in this way – not only do they look and taste stunning, but once you’ve mastered the technique of butchering the meat, they are crazy easy and versatile. For this roast, I used a combination of an already prepared artichoke pesto I bought from the store, fresh kale and some leftover crisped prosciutto I had in the fridge. Other combinations I’ve used in the past have included spinach, bacon and caramelized onions, and another favorite is sundried tomatoes, feta and spinach. I think the dark green from the kale and spinach provides a great contrast between the meat and the filling. Experiment with your own fillings and serve this tasty roast soon!
Stuffed Pork Loin Roast (Spiral Roast)
Ingredients:
- pork loin roast - any size will do, a 2lb roast fed my family of 4 easily
- kale - fresh kale leaves, I used about 30 baby kale leaves
- artichoke pesto - 1 cup
- prosciutto - 1/4 cup, cubed and crisped in a frying pan
- bacon - 2 slices
- salt and pepper -
- butcher's twine - 6 1-foot long pieces
Instructions:
To butcher the roast:
1. Lay the roast on a cutting surface in front of you. You're going to cut horizontally through the middle of the roast and open it up like a book. Do NOT cut all the way through the roast, you want to cut through enough that it lies flat, but don't cut it all the way in half.
2. With the roast open in front of you, make another horizontal cut through the left side of the roast. Start cutting from the middle of the roast, and make similar cut so that it once again opens like a book. Do this for the other side.
3. You should now have a nice thin, long slab of meat in front of you.
4. Liberally sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, then in an even layer, add the pesto, kale and prosciutto.
5. Turn the cutting board so that one of the short ends of the roast is nearest to you. Begin to roll the roast away from you, ensuring that you apply constant and even pressure to get a tight, but not too tight roll. If the filling starts squishing out, then you're rolling it too tight.
6. Tie the roast evenly with the butcher's twine, and top it with the bacon slices (to keep it moist).
7. Bake the roast at 350-F for about 20 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reads at least 145-F (the minimum cooking temperature for pork). Please be kind to your pork and don't cook it into oblivion! At 155-F there's very little pink left in a pork roast, but it won't be over cooked.
8. Cut away the twine, slice and enjoy!
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