Roasted Fig, Onion, and Thyme Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients
3 pounds pork loin
8 cups water
1/4 cup table salt
1 yellow onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 slice sourdough bread, a few days old
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 dried figs, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Kitchen twine
2-3 tablespoons high heat oil like avocado or vegetable oil
Directions
Two to three hours before roasting, brine the pork loin in 8 cups of water and 1/4 cup table salt.
Once the pork loin has brined for two to three hours, remove it from the brining solution and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place the oven rack in the center position.
In a 10 inch skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Do not brown.
Remove the onions from the sauté pan and put into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Process the sourdough bread in a small food processor until it turns into coarse bread crumbs.
Remove the crumbs from the food processor and place into a medium sized bowl. Add 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, shallot, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mix together with a fork until olive oil is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
In the small food processor bowl, add the sautéed onions, chopped figs, thyme, garlic cloves, 6 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Process until a paste forms, using a spatula to scrape the sides as necessary. Set aside.
Using a sharp knife, make a hatch pattern across the pork tenderloin’s fat cap. Try to keep the cuts shallow and only through the fat cap.
Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the two ends of the pork loin. Leave 1/2 inch border between the opening of the cut and each end’s edge. You can see me do this here.
Using a spatula or your hands, stuff 1/4 - 1/3 cup of the fig, onion, and thyme mixture into each end’s pocket. Leave about 1/4 cup of the mixture in the bowl and set aside.
Using several pieces of long kitchen twine, truss the pork loin in three sections. Then tie one extra long piece of twine from end-to-end.
Liberally salt and pepper the outside and ends of the pork loin.
In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add 2-3 tablespoons of high heat oil like avocado or vegetable oil.
Then carefully sear each side of the pork loin and both ends until a nice brown crust forms. This will take 10-12 minutes.
Remove the pork loin from the heat and remove the kitchen twine.
Spread the remaining fig, onion, and thyme mixture on top of the hatch patterned fat cap.
Press the bread crumb mixture on top of the fig, onion, and thyme mixture.
Carefully transfer the pork loin to a sheet pan lined with an oven safe cooling rack.
Place the pork loin in the preheated oven and roast until the internal temperature is 140 degrees, about 50-75 minutes.
Remove the pork loin from the oven and let it rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Slice the pork loin into 1/2 inch slices and serve!
