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Apple Pecan Pork Roulade

Cold weather comfort foods often include roasts and sides. Roasts are great for holiday presentations as well. Many people cook turkey for Christmas time, along with sides and desserts. More often than not, they include more than one main or meat dish with their Christmas dinner, especially if they are serving dinner to a large crowd. Plan on making this Apple Pecan Pork Roulade to serve as a Christmas main dish.

Apple Pecan Pork Roulade

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb pork tenderloin

¼ tsp cracked black pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium fuji apple, peeled, cored, and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped pecans

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and minced (about 3 tsp)

¼ cup apple cider, plus ⅓ cup extra cider for basting

2 TBS sugar

⅓ cup chicken broth, low sodium or no salt added

1 tsp dijon mustard

cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.  Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat (if you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, the pork can be transferred later). Add oil to skillet and let heat for 30 seconds.  Add onion, apple, and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender.  Add the pecans and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add vinegar and rosemary and cook for 1 more minute.  Turn off heat and place mixture in a bowl and set aside.  Wipe out the pan.

2. Slice pork lengthwise down the center, being careful not to cut all the way through the pork. Open pork as much as you can. Now you will slice into each of the halves you just cut, down the center lengthwise, but being careful not to slice all the way though.  Your pork should be open laying fairly flat.   cover pork with a large sheet of plastic wrap and pound out with a meat mallet, until the pork is evenly pounded and thin (about ¼ inch).  Sprinkle half of the salt and pepper onto the pork, and then cover with apple mixture evenly.  Starting from the edge, roll up as tightly as possible. Secure with bakers twine (I tied in 3 places) tightly.

3 In a small bowl mix ⅓ cup apple cider and 2 TBS sugar, set aside.  Coat the pan with cooking spray and place over medium/high heat.  Add pork, seam side down and cook for 5 minutes or until browned turning occasionally. Place pan in oven and bake at 425° for 45-60 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 140°. Every 15 minutes while cooking, baste or brush the pork with apple cider/sugar mixture.  Remove pork from pan and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

4.  Return pan to medium/high heat.  Add stock, ¼ cup cider, dijon mustard, and remaining salt and pepper. While stirring with a whisk, bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Drizzle over pork after slicing it.