Description
A festive and flavorful Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin recipe featuring tender pork filled with a savory mixture of dried cranberries, fresh spinach, creamy goat cheese, walnuts, and rosemary, finished with a balsamic glaze for a perfect holiday centerpiece.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Stuffing
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Finishing
- 1/4 cup balsamic glaze
- Kitchen twine
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the pork tenderloin.
- Prepare Tenderloins: Place the pork tenderloins on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice each tenderloin lengthwise about three-quarters of the way through, opening it like a book carefully without cutting all the way through.
- Season Inside: Drizzle olive oil inside each tenderloin and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder evenly to enhance flavor.
- Make Stuffing Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine dried cranberries, chopped fresh spinach, crumbled goat cheese, chopped walnuts, and chopped fresh rosemary. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Fill Tenderloins: Spread the cranberry and spinach mixture evenly over the inside of each pork tenderloin to ensure balanced stuffing.
- Secure Tenderloins: Fold each tenderloin back together and secure with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals to hold the stuffing in place during cooking.
- Heat Skillet: Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining olive oil to prepare for searing.
- Sear Pork: Sear the stuffed pork tenderloins in the hot skillet for about 3 minutes on each side until they develop a golden-brown crust.
- Bake: Transfer the skillet with seared pork to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) to ensure proper doneness.
- Rest Meat: Remove the skillet from the oven and let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes to maintain juiciness and flavor before slicing.
- Serve: Drizzle the pork tenderloins with balsamic glaze, slice into portions, and serve warm as a festive main dish.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) for safe consumption.
- Allow the pork to rest after baking for juicier and more tender slices.
- You can substitute goat cheese with cream cheese or feta if preferred.
- If balsamic glaze is unavailable, reduce balsamic vinegar to a syrup consistency as a substitute.
- Be careful when slicing the tenderloin to avoid cutting all the way through when preparing to stuff.
