Making the Perfect Stuffed Pork Loin

When it comes to Stuffed Pork Loin, there are some things to consider before you start. Pork loin is one of the leanest cuts of pork, and because it is so lean, it tends to come out dry. There are ways to overcome that, and we are going to look at one of them.First, when making a pork loin, consider the cooking method you intend to use, as this will determine how you prepare it. Today, we are going to slow-roast it at 250⁰F (121⁰C), and we will use a technique known as barding. Barding is wrapping fat around a cut of meat to help prevent it from drying out during cooking. Today, we are going to use hickory-smoked bacon, make a basket-weave pattern with it, and wrap it around the stuffed pork loin. This will help keep the loin from drying out and add an extra layer of flavour.

Preparing the Loin:

First, we are going to butterfly the pork loin lengthwise so we can fill the inside with our sauce and shredded mozzarella. Once we have it butterflied, we will coat the inside with our sauce, layer on the mozzarella, and then roll the loin. Once we have that ready, we will wrap our basket-weave bacon around the loin.Pork Loin Recipe:

1. 5-to-2-pound pork loin
2. 12 oz of thick-sliced hickory-smoked bacon
3. 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4. ¼ cup chipotle pineapple sauce

Chipotle Pineapple Sauce:

1. 16-ounce can crushed pineapple
2. 7-ounce can of Chipotle in adobo
3. 1 cup brown sugar
4. 1 cup ginger ale
5. 1 tsp ground ginger
6. 1 tsp ground black pepper
7. 1 tsp kosher salt

In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth.Potato Salad Recipe:

1. 2 pounds of boiled potatoes, diced large
2. ½ medium onion, diced small
3. 3 tablespoons of chopped dill or sweet pickles, or relish
4. Salt and pepper to taste
5. 2 chopped boiled eggs
6. Sliced black olives
7. 1 cup mayonnaise
8. ¼ cup spicy brown mustard

In a bowl, combine all your ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.Baked Beans:

1. 4 cups of cooked small white beans
2. ½ cup ketchup
3. 4 slices of slightly cooked, chopped hickory-smoked bacon
4. ½ medium onion, diced small
5. 1 bell pepper, diced small
6. ¼ teaspoon hickory smoke flavour
7. 1 tablespoon black pepper
8. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
9. ½ cup each dark and light brown sugar

Mix your ingredients together, place in a pan, cover with foil, and bake at 375⁰F (191⁰C) for 30 to 45 minutes.Once you have your loin butterflied, have basted the inside with your sauce, added the layer of mozzarella, rolled the loin, then covered it with your basket-weave of bacon. Place the pork loin on a roasting rack in a pan and coat the outside with your sauce. Then place the loin in either the oven set at 250⁰F (121⁰C) or into a smoker set at 250⁰F (121⁰C) without smoke. We want to slow-roast this pork loin so the bacon renders and crisps, keeping the pork loin moist during the 3.5-4-hour cooking process. It is important to keep the cooking temperature in mind. Normally, a pork loin is cooked to 155⁰F (68⁰C), but since we stuffed the loin, it is necessary to cook it to 165⁰F (74⁰C) to ensure the loin is properly cooked and completely done.During the cooking process, it will be important to allow it to cook for at least 2 hours before taking temperature readings. You can use a leave-in meat thermometer with probes if you have one. I recommend the ChefsTemp Quad Pro. If not, then use your ChefsTemp Finaltouch X10 Instant Read Meat Thermometer after two hours of cooking time and begin taking readings in several places to ensure the centre has reached the targeted pull temperature of 165⁰F (74⁰C).When it comes to pork, temperature is important. Pork requires specific cooking temperatures. Chops and pork roasts need to reach 155⁰F (68⁰C) to kill any bacteria or parasites associated with pork, specifically trichinosis, a parasitic worm that resides in the muscles of pork. Even though trichinosis isn’t as prevalent as it once was due to hogs being fed wholesome grains, hogs fed what was once referred to as “slop”, left over or spoiled dairy products, vegetables on the edge of being rotten, etc, can easily develop trichinosis parasite worms, and these can be transferred to humans who eat undercooked pork products. Ground pork, pork breakfast sausage, stuffed pork sausages like bratwurst, stuffed pork chops, and stuffed pork loins must be cooked to 165⁰F (74⁰C) to kill the bacteria and parasites associated with pork.Because of the higher temperatures during cooking, it is necessary to use moisture barriers to prevent pork from drying out. Some of the cooking methods used with pork are braising, roasting and basting, cooking with sauces, and coating and frying, bacon and breakfast sausage are two exceptions, they can be cooked by frying or baking, they are relatively thin cuts and cook to safe temperatures easily.Once our pork loin has reached 165⁰F (74⁰C), we need to let it rest so any juices at the surface can return to the centre and add additional moisture to the roast. Do not get in a hurry to slice it; allowing it to rest will make it moist and tender, and will also allow the cheese to cool and become more solid.Tip: Click here to read more about the meat temperature chart if interested.

In Summary

Pork loin is one of the most delicious cuts of pork you can enjoy if you handle it correctly and cook it properly. Time and temperature are crucial to enjoying a wonderful dining experience. Make sure it reaches 165⁰F (74⁰C), let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing, and you will thoroughly enjoy your next pork loin dish.You can stick a meat temperature chart magnet on the refrigerator or grill to check the pork target temperature at any time.