Roast Pork With Apricot And Shallot Stuffing Recipes

PORK RIB ROAST WITH CRANBERRY-APRICOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Warm the cognac and water in a small saucepan, add the cranberries and apricots, and set aside until plump, about 10 minutes. In a small food processor, pulse the fruit and any unabsorbed liquid with the almonds, shallot, butter, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, to taste, until the fruit and nuts are coarsely chopped.
• With a boning knife or other long, thin knife, make a cut 3 inches across in the center of one end of the roast. Gently push and work the blade in and straight through the roast to the other end. (If your knife isn¿t long enough, make a cut at either end and work your way to the center, making sure that the cuts meet.) Insert the narrow end of a wooden spoon into the opening to widen it a bit all the way through. Push the stuffing into the loin, working first from 1 end and then the other, filling to the center.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the loin dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast, holding the bones up so that the bottom gets well browned, then turn the roast to brown the meaty side, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the pork meat side down for 30 minutes. Turn the roast over so it sits on the bones and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 155 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Transfer the roast to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• Whisk the creme fraiche or sour cream with the mustard in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice roast between the bones to make individual chops, arrange them on a platter, and serve, passing the mustard sauce.
• Know-How: Roasting meat on the bone keeps meat moist and improves its flavor. Pan-searing before roasting is the way to get a great burnished crust on lean meats that would otherwise dry out if left to brown solely in the oven.

ROAST PORK WITH APRICOT AND SHALLOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make stuffing:
• Cut just enough bread into 1/3-inch pieces to measure 1 cup and spread evenly in a shallow baking pan. Toast bread in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Leave oven on (for pork).
• Cook shallots in butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add apricots and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bread, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Stuff and roast pork:
• Make a hole for stuffing that runs lengthwise through pork loin: Beginning in middle of 1 end of roast, insert a sharp long thin knife lengthwise toward center of loin, then repeat at opposite end of loin to complete incision running through middle.
• Open up incision with your fingers, working from both ends, to create a 1 1/2-inch-wide opening, then pack with all of stuffing, pushing from both ends toward center.
• Pat pork dry and and season well with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until very hot and just smoking, then brown pork on all sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in middle of oven until a meat thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into meat (avoid stuffing) registers 160°F, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 20 minutes.
• While loin is standing, straddle roasting pan across 2 burners. Add 1/2 cup water and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits.
• Slice meat and serve with sauce.

PORK ROAST WITH APRICOT-RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the water, apricots and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved., Stir in the rice, onion, parsley, butter, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender., Cut a deep lengthwise slit in between each bone of the pork roast (do not cut apart); stuff with rice mixture. Place fat side up on a rack in a foil-lined shallow roasting pan. Place remaining rice in a 1-qt. baking dish; cover and refrigerate., Bake roast, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour. Combine preserves and lemon juice; brush over roast. Bake 15-30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 145°, basting twice with remaining preserves mixture., Bake additional rice for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Let roast stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

APRICOT-STUFFED PORK WITH POTATOES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together potatoes, brussels sprouts, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, tossing once.
• Meanwhile, combine apricots, shallot, and jam in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Place pork on a work surface. Holding a chef's knife parallel to work surface, make a pocket by cutting lengthwise down center of tenderloin, stopping about 1/2 inch from other side (avoid cutting all the way through). Open, and stuff with apricot mixture. Spacing evenly, tie 3 to 4 pieces of kitchen twine around pork to close pocket. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove baking sheet from the oven when sprouts and potatoes have roasted 15 minutes. Toss, and push to sides of baking sheet, then place pork in center. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest park of pork (avoiding stuffing) registers 145 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.