Stuffed Pork Loin
Hosting a holiday gathering doesn’t have to break the bank to feel special! This stuffed pork loin recipe is an elegant yet budget-friendly alternative to pricier main dishes like prime rib. With customizable stuffing options and a rich homemade gravy, this dish is perfect for impressing your guests while keeping things approachable.
Recipe Steps
In 2022, we were hosting a large number of family and friends for Christmas. Since the price of prime rib was out of our budget, I wanted to create a delicious dinner that would look impressive, taste amazing, and still make the evening feel festive for everyone. As a result, I decided to make stuffed pork loin.
Initially, I had never butterflied a pork loin before. So, I watched a couple of videos to figure out how to do it. By the time I got to the third pork loin, I had become fairly good at the technique.
For the stuffing, I wanted variety. First, I stuffed one pork loin with my tried-and-true Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing that I’ve used for years in my turkeys. Then, after some quick Googling, I found two other stuffing recipes that sounded equally delicious: Cornbread, Apple & Cranberry, and Bacon & Cranberry.
However, before I could start stuffing the pork loins, they needed to be butterflied so they would lay flat. While I’m no expert, I did my best after watching several YouTube videos. My video is not exactly a “how-to,” but it is meant to encourage you—if I can do it, so can you!
Once the pork loins were butterflied, I spread the stuffing evenly across each loin, leaving about 1/2 inch without stuffing on the far side. This small gap helps prevent the stuffing from spilling out when rolling the meat. Next, I rolled the pork loins like jelly rolls, tucking in any stuffing that tried to escape as I went along.
When it came to tying the rolled pork loins, I initially planned to cut pieces of kitchen twine and tie them individually. However, my husband stepped in and used some fancy string work with slip knots, which kept the rolls secure and looked professional. You can see what we did in the video below.
After roasting the pork loins, I made a simple gravy using the pan juices. To do this, I strained the juices into a saucepan, added a bit of chicken stock, and thickened it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. The result was a rich, flavorful sauce that perfectly complemented the stuffed pork loin.
This stuffed pork loin not only looked elegant on the table but was a crowd-pleaser that made our Christmas dinner extra memorable.
Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients
Prok Loin
- 3-4 lb. boneless pork loin
- 1 Tbsp. dried sage
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil for searing
Gravy
- ½-1 C chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. corn starch or arrowroot powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375℉. Rinse the pork loin and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Place the pork loin on a cutting board, fat side up. Starting on the right side, make a 1-inch deep cut along the length of the loin, parallel to the cutting board, without cutting all the way through. Open the meat like a book and continue making shallow cuts until the pork loin lays flat.
- Lay the butterflied pork loin flat on the cutting board with the long edge closest to you. In a small bowl, mix the sage, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, then evenly season the pork.
- Spread your chosen stuffing in a thin, even layer over the seasoned pork, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the far edge to help prevent the stuffing from spilling out as you roll.
- Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the pork tightly like a jelly roll, tucking in any escaping stuffing as you go.
- Secure the rolled pork loin by tying it with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals along the length to keep the stuffing in place.
- Season the outside of the rolled pork loin with additional salt and pepper. Heat the avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side, until browned.
- Transfer the seared pork loin to a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 60–75 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 145°F on a meat thermometer.
- Strain any pan juices left in the roasting pan through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Add 1/2–1 cup of chicken stock to the juices and heat over medium-low, stirring often.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp. of the liquid from the saucepan with 1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Add the mixture back into the saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Continue heating until the sauce thickens. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the pork loin from the oven and transfer it to a plate. Tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 5–10 minutes to retain juices.
- Place the rested pork loin on a cutting board, remove the kitchen twine, and slice into 1/2-inch thick portions. Serve warm and enjoy!Optional: Pair with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or gravy for a complete meal.
Victoria Cook
Victoria is a passionate home cook who became the host and chef of over 100 episodes of a private cooking show tailored for wellness practitioners and their patients. With a love for ethnic cuisines, she enjoys using a variety of spices and fresh ingredients to create flavorful, healthy meals for her husband and son. Always up for a culinary challenge, Victoria finds joy in experimenting with new recipes—and if she can whip them up in an electric pressure cooker, she’s even happier.
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! I have always trimmed the silver skin pretty closely – do I not need to? Or am I confusing that with the fat and sacrificing flavor?
Hey Kirsten – Thanks for your kind words! You are correct in trimming away the silver skin. I could have probably done a better job myself. It is connective tissue and does not break down or add flavor like the fat cap does. Please let me know how you liked it if you made it!