Roast Pork With Apricot And Shallot Stuffing Recipes

Steps:

• Warm the cognac and water in a small saucepan, add the cranberries and apricots, and set aside until plump, about 10 minutes. In a small food processor, pulse the fruit and any unabsorbed liquid with the almonds, shallot, butter, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, to taste, until the fruit and nuts are coarsely chopped.
• With a boning knife or other long, thin knife, make a cut 3 inches across in the center of one end of the roast. Gently push and work the blade in and straight through the roast to the other end. (If your knife isn¿t long enough, make a cut at either end and work your way to the center, making sure that the cuts meet.) Insert the narrow end of a wooden spoon into the opening to widen it a bit all the way through. Push the stuffing into the loin, working first from 1 end and then the other, filling to the center.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the loin dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast, holding the bones up so that the bottom gets well browned, then turn the roast to brown the meaty side, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the pork meat side down for 30 minutes. Turn the roast over so it sits on the bones and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 155 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Transfer the roast to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• Whisk the creme fraiche or sour cream with the mustard in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice roast between the bones to make individual chops, arrange them on a platter, and serve, passing the mustard sauce.
• Know-How: Roasting meat on the bone keeps meat moist and improves its flavor. Pan-searing before roasting is the way to get a great burnished crust on lean meats that would otherwise dry out if left to brown solely in the oven.

Steps:

• MAKE STUFFING
• Simmer the apricots, prunes, and wine in a small heavy saucepan, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes.
• Cook the onion and shallot in the butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the apple and salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until apple is just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the apricot mixture and cool.
• STUFF AND ROAST PORK
• Preheat the oven to 500°F, with the rack in the middle.
• Make a pocket in the center of the roast by cutting a horizontal 1 1/2-inch-wide slit into one end with a long thin knife and repeating from the opposite end so a pocket runs all the way through. Make a vertical cut through the center (forming a cross) to widen the pocket. Push about 1 cup stuffing into the pocket using a long-handled wooden spoon (you may need to stuff from both sides if roast is long). Reserve the remaining stuffing for the sauce.
• Season the roast with salt and pepper and put in a large flameproof roasting pan. Wrap with the bacon between rib bones, tucking the ends under the roast. Roast the pork 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into the center (do not touch bone or stuffing) registers 155°F, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours total.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature of the meat will rise to about 160°F; meat will be slightly pink.)
• MAKE SAUCE
• Skim the fat from the pan drippings and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Straddle the pan across 2 burners and add port to drippings, then deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up browned bits, 1 minute. Strain the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids.
• Cook the shallot in the reserved fat in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pan juices, 1 1/4 cups water, and any reserved fruit stuffing and bring to a simmer. Whisk together the arrowroot and remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth, then whisk into the sauce along with any juices from the cutting board. Simmer the sauce, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Carve the roast into chops by cutting between ribs, then serve with the sauce.
• DO AHEAD
• The STUFFING can be made 2 days ahead and chilled. The UNCOOKED ROAST improves in flavor if stuffed, seasoned, and wrapped with bacon 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

Steps:

• Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix stuffing, broth, apricots and onions. Place pork on stuffing mixture. In small bowl, mix jam and vinegar; brush over pork.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.
• Remove pork from cooker; place on cutting board. Stir stuffing before serving. Cut pork into slices; serve with stuffing.

Steps:

• Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the roast to within 1/2 in. of bottom. Open roast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. Remove wrap; sprinkle with cheese, apricots, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne., Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long end. Tie at 1-1/2- to 2-inch intervals with kitchen string; secure ends with toothpicks. Transfer to an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Brush tenderloin with butter. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make stuffing:
• Cut just enough bread into 1/3-inch pieces to measure 1 cup and spread evenly in a shallow baking pan. Toast bread in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Leave oven on (for pork).
• Cook shallots in butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add apricots and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bread, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Stuff and roast pork:
• Make a hole for stuffing that runs lengthwise through pork loin: Beginning in middle of 1 end of roast, insert a sharp long thin knife lengthwise toward center of loin, then repeat at opposite end of loin to complete incision running through middle.
• Open up incision with your fingers, working from both ends, to create a 1 1/2-inch-wide opening, then pack with all of stuffing, pushing from both ends toward center.
• Pat pork dry and and season well with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until very hot and just smoking, then brown pork on all sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in middle of oven until a meat thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into meat (avoid stuffing) registers 160°F, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 20 minutes.
• While loin is standing, straddle roasting pan across 2 burners. Add 1/2 cup water and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits.
• Slice meat and serve with sauce.