Recipe: Prune-Stuffed Roast Pork with Browned Potatoes, Swedish Style (with prune, apricot and apple variation)

You may want to check a recent cookbook for the roasting time and finished temperature called for pork since the pork on the market now is leaner than when this cookbook was published.

MCCALL'S COOKING SCHOOL PRUNE-STUFFED ROAST PORK
WITH BROWNED POTATOES, SWEDISH STYLE
(With prune, apricot and apple variation)

8 medium potatoes
1 (4 lb.) loin of pork, chine cracked
14 to 16 pitted prunes (if desired, when stuffing the roast alternate the prunes with dried apricots and cubes of apple)
1 lemon, halved
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed beef broth, undiluted
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon paprika
FOR THE GRAVY:
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup milk

Wash and pare potatoes. Cut each into slices, 1/8-inch thick, down through the top of each potato (not through the bottom), leaving bottom intact. Place potatoes in ice water, to chill about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wipe pork with damp paper towels, trim off excess fat. With a long, narrow sharp knife, starting at each end, pierce through to center of pork loin.

Using fingers push prunes into the holes to fill completely. Rub roast on all sides with half lemon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and ginger.

Insert the meat thermometer into center muscle of pork away from bone. Place, with fat side up, in shallow roasting pan without rack; pork will rest on bones. Pour beef broth around pork. Cover pan with foil, or use a tight-fitting lid.

Roast, covered, 30 minutes. Remove roast from oven.

Drain potatoes; dry on paper towels. Roll potatoes twice in melted butter and paprika. Place around roast. Pour paprika-butter over potatoes.

Roast pork, uncovered, basting every 1/2 hour with pan drippings; add water, if needed. Roast 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until thermometer registers 175 degrees F. Remove roast and potatoes to heated platter; keep warm in low oven.

MAKE GRAVY;
Pour pan drippings into a 2-cup measure. Skim off fat; reserve 2 Tablespoons fat; return to roasting pan. Stir in flour and ginger until smooth. Cook, stirring over low heat, to brown flour slightly.

Add water to pan dripping to make 1 1/4 cups. Gradually stir into flour mixture, along with the milk, bring to boiling, stirring until thickened.

Serve hot with pork.

Servings: 8.