Recipe: Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Rice, Dried Cranberries, and Pine Nuts

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Rice, Dried Cranberries, and Pine Nuts
rec.food.cooking/Johanna Turner (1994)

I made this recipe up and made it twice (once to test before a big dinner and once for the dinner) and it's quite good (lots of raves). This is a bit of work and the recipe isn't very precise, but here goes:

Cook up some rice (maybe some wild rice too?) and add chicken stock, rosemary, dried cranberries. When it's done add some more dried cranberries (dried cherries would probably work as well, as would prunes but be a different flavor) and toasted pine nuts and some extra rosemary as well.

Split the pork loin down the side but not all the way through. If there's a lot of extra fat remove some. Stuff the rice mixture into the middle of the meat, closing the pork loin around it. (You may use string to tie it shut, but I didn't.)

Now roll the whole thing in a mixture of seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Progresso) and Parmesan, (lots of parmesan), garlic and some parsley. You want a coating about 1/4-inch thick. Moisten it a little if need be to get it all to stick together.

Bake it following the Joy of Cooking's recommendation for size. I think it's 20 minutes per pound at 375. Cook until the meat juices are clear. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Slice it into 3/4-inch thick slices (or maybe a little thicker) and serve.

My tenderloin started out about 2-inch thick and 3-inches wide but was about 3-inches in diameter after I stuffed it. I stuffed a lot of rice into the middle, and as the meat cooked the side cracked a little and showed the rice but that was o.k. The crust should be nice and golden grown with lots of crunchy Parmesan and be sort of tangy against the sweet/blander interior.

Garnish with more parsley and toasted pine nuts.