3 Different Healthy Pork Tenderloin Dishes

Cranberry-Rosemary Stuffed Pork Loin

Makes: 12 servings

Serving Size: 4-ounce piece

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Equipment: Kitchen string

INGREDIENTS

BRINE

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 cups boiling water

12 ice cubes

PORK LOIN & STUFFING

• 1 3-pound pork loin, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped pancetta or prosciutto
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries (see Tip)
• 1/2 cup fresh coarse whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• PREPARATION
• 
  1. To prepare brine: Place 1/4 cup brown sugar, salt and rosemary in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour in boiling water and stir to dissolve. Stir in ice cubes.
  2. To butterfly & brine pork: You’re going to double butterfly the pork loin so it can be flattened, stuffed and rolled. To do that, you’ll make two long horizontal cuts, one on each side, dividing the roast in thirds without cutting all the way through. Place the roast on a cutting board. Holding the knife blade flat, so it’s parallel to the board, make a lengthwise cut into the side of the roast just above the center, stopping short of the opposite edge so that the flap remains attached. Rotate the tenderloin 180°. Still holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, make a lengthwise cut into the side opposite the original cut, just below the center, taking care not to cut all the way through. Open up the two cuts so you have a large rectangle of meat. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Place the butterflied pork in the brine, adding more water to cover, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and no more than 4 hours.
  3. To prepare stuffing: Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta (or prosciutto) and cook, stirring, until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl along with any drippings from the pan. Stir in cranberries, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and rosemary. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Remove pork from brine (discard brine); rinse well and thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season the pork with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread the cranberry stuffing over the pork. Roll tightly and secure in 4 places with kitchen string. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
  6. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork; brown on all sides, turning often, 5 to 8 minutes total. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
  7. Roast the pork, turning twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (not the stuffing) registers 140°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  8. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Make Ahead Tip: Lightly wrap stuffed and tied pork loin and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before proceeding with Step 6 and while the oven heats.
  • Tip: To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 181 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 48 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 17 g protein; 1 g fiber; 277 mg sodium; 260 mg potassium.

• Poblano, Sweet Potato & Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

• Makes: 12 servings

• Serving Size: about 4 oz.

• 

  Active Time: 1 3/4 hours

• Total Time: 5 hours (including 2 hours brining time)

• Equipment: Roasting rack, kitchen string

• INGREDIENTS

  BRINE & PORK

  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 12 ice cubes
  • 1 3-pound pork loin, trimmed

  STUFFING

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 poblano peppers, finely diced
  • 1 small sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 small apple, such as Pink Lady or Gala, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

  RUB

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

  • PREPARATION

    1. To prepare brine: Place brown sugar, 1/4 cup salt and 1 tablespoon cumin in a heatproof bowl. Pour in boiling water and stir to dissolve. Stir in ice cubes until melted.
    2. To butterfly & brine pork: You’re going to double butterfly the pork loin so it can be flattened, stuffed and rolled. To do so, place pork loin on a cutting board. Holding the knife blade flat, so it’s parallel to the board, make a lengthwise cut into the side of the roast just above the center, stopping short of the opposite edge so that the flap remains attached. Rotate the tenderloin 180 degrees. Still holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, make a lengthwise cut into the side opposite the original cut, just below the center, taking care not to cut all the way through. Open up the two cuts so you have a large rectangle of meat. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Place the pork in a sealable gallon-size plastic bag and pour in the brine; turn to coat. Place in a dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
    3. To prepare stuffing: About 1 hour before you stuff the pork, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add poblanos, sweet potato, apple, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon each pepper and chipotle and cook, stirring, until the potato is just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Add water by the tablespoon to prevent sticking, as needed.) Remove from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.
    4. To rub & roast pork: Line a large baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Remove the pork from the brine and thoroughly pat dry. Combine 2 tablespoons oil, 2 cloves garlic, cilantro, chipotle and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly, then rub the mixture all over the pork. Spoon the stuffing mixture over the pork, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Roll up from long side to long side and secure in several spots with kitchen string. Transfer to the prepared pan seam-side down and let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats, 15 to 20 minutes.
    5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
    6. Roast the stuffed pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat (not the stuffing) registers 145°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes. Remove the string and slice the pork into thick rounds.

    TIPS & NOTES

    • Make Ahead Tip: Butterfly and brine pork (Steps 1-2) up to 4 hours ahead. Stuff the pork (Steps 3-4), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.

    NUTRITION

    Per serving: 189 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 60 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 3 g total sugars; 22 g protein; 1 g fiber; 219 mg sodium; 439 mg potassium.
    Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (69% daily value), Vitamin C (23% dv).

  • Apple-&-Leek-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

  • Makes: 4 servings

  • Active Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

  • INGREDIENTS

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
    • 1 cup chopped leek, white and light green parts only, rinsed
    • 1 sweet apple, such as Braeburn, Honeycrisp or Macoun, peeled and chopped
    • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 sprig, divided
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
    • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
    • 1-1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
    • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
    • 1/2 cup applejack or apple brandy
    • 2 cups apple cider
    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

    • PREPARATION

      1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
      2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add apple, chopped thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple is beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool. Rinse out the pan.
      3. To butterfly the tenderloin, lay it on a large cutting board. Holding the knife blade flat and parallel to the board, make a lengthwise cut through the center of the meat, stopping short of the opposite edge so that the tenderloin remains in one piece. Open as you would a book. Cover with plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, rolling pin or heavy pan, pound the pork to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
      4. Spread the apple mixture in the center of the pork, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Starting at a long side, roll up the pork to enclose the filling. To keep the stuffing from falling out during roasting, fold in about 1 inch of the two short ends. Tie kitchen string firmly lengthwise around the roast to secure the two ends. Then tie it crosswise with string at 2-inch intervals. Lightly brush the roast with 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
      5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and brown the roast on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the roast to a rimmed baking sheet (set the pan aside). Place in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F, about 15 minutes. Let rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes.
      6. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Crush garlic with the flat side of a knife. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add applejack (or apple brandy), thyme sprig and the garlic; bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Whisk cider and cornstarch and add to the pan. Return to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by just over half (to about 3/4 cup), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the garlic and thyme. Whisk in mustard and any juice from the baking sheet. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce.

      NUTRITION

      Per serving: 366 calories; 11 g fat (2 g sat, 7 g mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 1 g fiber; 561 mg sodium; 534 mg potassium.
      Nutrition Bonus: Potassium (15% daily value)