Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin

Serves: 8

Hands On Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley, leaves stripped

3/4 ounce fresh rosemary, leaves stripped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive oil, parsley, rosemary and garlic. Process until the herbs have broken down and the mixture resembles a loose paste. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and cheese. Add more oil, if needed, to create the texture of wet sand.

On a cutting board, make a 1-inch slice into the tapered side of the loin, about 1 inch from the bottom of the board. Use several long, shallow knife cuts to unfurl the pork loin into one long, uniform piece about 1 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.

With the pork cut-side-up, spread the stuffing in an even layer and roll pork back into a firm log — not too tight, lest the filling ooze out when cooking. Use several foot-long pieces of butcher’s twine to hold the pork loin together in a cylindrical shape.

Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 45 to 60 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing into 1-inch rounds. Serve.

About the recipe

Stuffing a pork loin is a fun way to turn a relatively inexpensive cut of meat into something truly elegant. You’ll need a good, sharp knife to trim the loin, but once you have the technique down, the rest of the dish is quite simple. This would be a great time to invest in an oven-safe probe thermometer, which will give off a signal when the meat has reached your desired internal temperature.