Fruit Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs. boneless pork loin
• 1 1/2 lbs. mixed dried fruit (apricots pears, apples, peaches, prunes, etc)
• 1/8 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1-2 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup apple jelly
• 1/2 cup “honey mustard” (1/4 cup brown sugar mixed with 1/4 cup brown or Dijon mustard)
• 10 ginger snaps crushed
• 1 cup apple brandy or apple jack
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Instructions

1. 1
   Marinade Fruit: Chop the dried fruit into 1/4” (approx.) pieces.
2. 2
   Poach the fruit in the brandy. (Add water to cover fruit if necessary)
3. 3
   Cook until just tender. Drain fruit well reserving the liquid. Return juice to pan.
4. 4
   Add apple jelly, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar, Blend well, reduce to 1/2. Set aside. Fruit and sauce may be refrigerated.
5. 5
   Prepare Meat: Loin - Place meat on a cutting board fat side up. Using a very sharp knife, make 2 deep cuts from the center out toward each side stopping about 1/2” from the bottom so a view from the end looks like (^).
6. 6
   Open the “v"s you have created. Rub meat all over with salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Fill each side with the drained fruit mixture.
7. 7
   Tie the meat back together with butchers’ string.
8. 8
   Coat the top and sides with “honey mustard”.
9. 9
   Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and roast, uncovered in a 400 degree oven (tenderloin can be grilled or pan seared) until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
10. 10
    Remove meat to “rest” on a cutting board or platter. Deglaze the pan with a little water or chicken stock and add juice to the reserved marinate.
11. 11
    Sauce: Bring liquid to a medium boil. Stir in crushed ginger snaps one tablespoon at a time.
12. 12
    As crumbs dissolve, the mixture thickens. Be careful not to make the sauce too thick..
13. 13
    Spoon sauce over slices of meat when serving