evanroberts.com

Last night, I decided to surprise Molly with a new idea for dinner.

In the latest issue of Men’s Health, there was a recipe for “Super-Stuffed Tenderloin”. I’ve had a pork tenderloin in my freezer for the better part of a year; it weighed 2.5kg (just over 5 pounds), and it was on sale for about $10. Thing is, I’d never cooked pork before, and thought about butterflying it, but never got around to it, etc. It essentially became one of those “Oh, we should eat that soon as it’s taking up space in the freezer” things.

Anyway, as I read the recipe, it was stupid-easy, so I thought why the hell not. Here’s what they wrote:

What you’ll need:

• 2lb pork tenderloin
• 1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 jar (5 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and diced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Ask your butcher to butterfly the loin, or do it yourself by splitting it down the center, cutting it almost but not all the way through, and then opening the two halves so they lie flat (the shape should resemble a butterfly). Stir the cheese, basil, spinach, and artichokes together and spread the mixture on the inside of the cut loin. Roll the loin closed and tie it with cord in at least five places. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the pork in a roasting pan, brush it lightly with oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer (it should read 160F). Makes four servings.

Per serving:

• 350 calories
• 54g protein
• 7g carbs
• 10g fat (4g saturated)
• 1g fiber
• 280mg sodium

One thing I didn’t know where to get was the cord. I couldn’t even for the life of me remember what type of cord I needed, and I used to work in the meat department at Dominion while in high school, and my grandfather was a butcher back in the day too. Erol clued me in and reminded me it was “butcher’s twine”. Unfortunately, they don’t sell it at Dominion, but the butcher I asked was kind enough to give me some. As for where to get it from now on, he suggested a hardware store, of all places. Makes sense, I guess.

I didn’t follow the recipe completely to the letter, considering that the pork tenderloin I had was more than twice the size of the one they suggested. I ended up cooking it for about 70-75 minutes, cutting it twice over the course of the cooking time to see how it was doing as I don’t have a meat thermometer, although I think I’ll get one. Also, we used a glaze that was suggested on the plastic wrap for the pork tenderloin:

Mustard and herb crust:

Stir together:

• 1/2 cup (125ml) grainy or regular Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp (15ml) each of honey and vegetable oil
• 1 tsp (5ml) dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp (2ml) each salt and cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp (1ml) dried rosemary.

Spread on meat before roasting.

This glaze tasted AMAZING with the pork tenderloin, and it lent it a nice golden brown as it cooked.

In the end, Molly and I ate only a quarter of the thing, and we’ll be having pork for the next few meals. Even typing about it is making me hungry for a few pieces. As well, since I now know how to cook one of these things, it’d be great for when we have a bunch of friends over for a party or something, and don’t feel like ordering a pizza.

I tell ya, this healthy eating thing is a lot of fun.

Comments RSS