Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin roast
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. dried pesto seasoning (not pesto sauce, the dry herbs)
1/2 c. loosely packed fresh spinach leaves (I use frozen)
6 bacon slices, cooked and drained (I use thick sliced bacon)
1/2 (12 ounces) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained (I use the ones julienned from Wal-Mart)
1 tsp. salt (I use sea salt, less salty)
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
Fresh spinach leaves (I do not use them)
|
Directions: |
Directions:Slice pork lengthwise, cutting down center, but not through to other side. Open halves; cut down center of each half, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open into a rectangle. Place plastic wrap over pork and pound to an even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. (This is the hardest and messiest part; ask your butcher if they can do it for you.)
Spread cream cheese evenly down center of pork lengthwise. Sprinkle cream cheese evenly with dried pesto seasoning. Arrange spinach over cream cheese and top with bacon and red peppers.
Roll up pork starting with 1 long side. Secure at 2" intervals with kitchen string. (I use a long piece of string and crisscross the roast). Rub the pork roast with salt, paprika, and pepper. Place, seam side down, on a lightly greased rack on an aluminum foil-lined pan. (I add some slices of raw bacon across the roast and about 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the pan). Bake at 425º for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155º. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove string from pork; cut into 1/2"-thick slices. Serve pork slices on a bed of fresh spinach leaves. |
This recipe for Tuscan Pork Loin is from