Stuffed Boneless Pork Loin with Spinach and Gruyere Cheese

Perfect interior or spinach and cheese melting out, YUM!

The sauce is a great balance with olives, cilantro, tomatoes,

onion and white wine.

Since this was being prepared for a crowd, the stuffed pork loin
needed to be browned in batches. Feeding 24 people for the holidays,
requires planning, time, and big pans!

Once all the pork loin is browned, the tomatoes, spices and
other sauce elements are added to the pan drippings.
The sauce was delicious and a perfect balance to the stuffed pork.

Stuffing was a two person job. Thank you to my son John for his help.
After the filling was prepared, I began cutting the pocket openings in the
pork pieces and my son stuffed each pork piece.  We filled two big
trays of stuffed pork loin in preparation of browning them in batches.
A toothpick was inserted into the front opening end, to help the
stuffing stay inside while browning.

These turned out fabulous, once plated with the sauce, the combination
of flavors was wonderful.  In my opinion, the nutmeg added to the filling
is the essential unique component that sets the flavor on these
apart from any other style stuffed meat.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Jacques Pepin, Art and Soul in the Kitchen

CHOPS:

4 thick boneless pork loin chops(1 3/4 lbs. total, about 1 inch thick)

1 tbsp. peanut oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup sliced scallions

1 large ripe tomato cut into 3/4 inch dice(about 2 cups)

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup diced Kalamata olives

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Stuffing:

1 Tbsp. peanut oil

8 oz. baby spinach, (about 9 cups)

1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

2 tsp. chopped garlic

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese(about 5 oz.)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the spinach, nutmeg, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a plate and let cool. Mix the grated cheese into the cooled spinach.

On a work surface, cut the pork loin pieces, almost horizontally in half. Stuff with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In a large 12 inch skillet, on high heat, brown the pork

for about 3 1/2 minutes and turn on the other side. 

Once the meat is done cooking remove to a plate and in the pan drippings add, the tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, scallions, salt and pepper.  Cook for one minute, then add the olives and cilantro cook for 30 seconds.  remove from heat.  

On a clean plate, put a spoonful of the sauce, and add a chop on top of that , then drizzle a bit more sauce over the top of the meat.