Pork tenderloin lends itself to many preparations including this stuffed version, which turns out is a melt in your mouth dish. This recipe originally appeared in February 2009 as part of my Foodbuzz 24 event article featuring dining fare on railroads of the bygone era, specifically the golden age of dining by rail. This recipe inspired by the Western Pacific railroad and The California Zephyr also known as the CZ, or “Silver Lady”, the streamliner began service in 1949 between Oakland, California and Chicago, Illinois. I have reprised the recipe here in its individual form to cast a limelight on its significance with fall dining fare.
I can image riding in the sleek diner aboard the CZ and noshing on this pork tenderloin with stuffing while riding across the vast expanse of the American southwest. The image shown here is of the stuffed pork tenderloin served with a side of creamed spinach. Another option with this dish would be to smoke the stuffed tenderloins with oak, hickory, cherry or pecan wood for several hours, and then finishing the roasting in the oven until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145° F.
| Yield: 8 portions | ||
| Ingredients | ||
| 2 | Each | Pork tenderloins, 1 pound average each |
| Marinade | ||
| ½ | Cup | Raisins, dark |
| 2 | Cups | Beer |
| ¼ | Cup | Cider vinegar |
| Stuffing | ||
| 6 | Slices | Whole grain, multi-grain, or oatmeal bread (divided) |
| 2 | Tsp. | Orange zest |
| ½ | Cup | Onion, finely chopped |
| ½ | Cup | Celery, finely chopped |
| 1 | Tbsp | Fresh rosemary, chopped |
| 1 | Tbsp | Fresh thyme, chopped |
| Pinch each | Salt and white pepper | |
| 1 | Cup | Chicken stock |
| Dry Rub | ||
| ¼ | Cup | Brown sugar |
| 1 | Tsp | Salt |
| 1 | Tsp | White pepper |
| Basting Mixture | ||
| 2 | Tbsp. | Apricot preserves |
| 2 | Tsp. | Dijon mustard |
| 2 | Tbsp | Grand Mariner (or any citrus liquor) |
| 1 | Tsp | Fresh rosemary, chopped |
| Procedure Steps | |
| 1. | Remove any “silver” skin and fat from the surface of the tenderloins. Rinse under water and pat dry. Cut a lengthwise slit down center of the tenderloins a little over 2/3 of the way through the meat. Place the tenderloins between 2 sheets plastic wrap, and flatten to an even thickness about 1/3 of an inch thick. Transfer the meat to a large flat container such as a roasting pan. |
| 2. | In a small bowl combine raisins, beer and cider vinegar to make a marinade. Pour this over the pork tenderloins making sure that the meat is completely covered well. Marinade in the refrigerator at least 6 hours covered. |
| 3. | Take 3 slices of the bread and place them into the bowl of a food processor and blend to form coarse bread crumbs. Cut the remaining 3 bread slices into ½-inch cubes. In a large bowl combine bread crumbs, bread cubes, orange zest, onions, celery, rosemary, thyme, and a pinch of salt and white pepper then mix well. Slowly add chicken stock creating a moist but not too wet stuffing that holds well together. Cover and set stuffing aside in the refrigerator until the tenderloins are finished marinating |
| 4. | After at least 6 hours of marinating, pour off and discard the liquid but reserve the raisins. Add the raisins to the stuffing mix and stir well to incorporate. |
| 5. | Combine brown sugar with 1 Tsp salt and 1 Tsp white pepper then rub this over all sides of the tenderloins. |
| 6. | Spread the stuffing over the top of the open tenderloins to within ½-inch from all edges. Roll up each tenderloin in a jellyroll fashion, starting at the narrow end. Tie each tenderloin securely with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. |
| 7. | Place a wire rack into a shallow roasting pan and arrange the tenderloins into the pan at least 3 – 4 inches apart. Roast uncovered in a 350° F oven. |
| 8. | Combine the apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, Grand Mariner and the 1 Tsp. of fresh rosemary to create the basting mixture. Occasionally baste the tenderloins with the prepared basting mixture. Roast for 50 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 145° F. Remove the pan from the oven and cover loosely with foil and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing into ½-thick portions. |
3 responses so far ↓
1 Sippitysup // Sep 29, 2009 at 12:39 pm
This is a beautiful method for stuffing!
2 Jessie // Sep 29, 2009 at 12:40 pm
beer marinated pork?? that sounds wonderful!
3 Kelly // Sep 29, 2009 at 1:13 pm
WOW!!! Now if only I could get someone to make this for me!