Shelly's Recipe

PORK TENDERLOIN STUFFED WITH SPINACH, FONTINA CHEESE, AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES

Category: Roasts/Tenderloins - Pork

1 whole pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 pounds
6 oz. fresh baby spinach (1 bag)
6 oz. fontina cheese
5 oz. sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Saute spinach in a covered saucepan with 2 tbsp water until it is wilted. Drain and cool.

Butterfly the pork tenderloin: slice the length of the tenderloin, so that it unrolls with an even 1/2-1/4 inch thickness. Pound the tenderloin even thinner between two sheets of cellophane wrap. If you don’t have a pounder, use the flat bottom of a small, heavy cooking pan. Remove cellophane and spread the spinach, fontina, and tomatoes along the whole length of the piece of meat. Roll the tenderloin up, and hold it together with kitchen string (in a pinch, use toothpicks). Rub the entire outside of the roast with salt and pepper. Wrap it in cellophane if you will be cooking it later. [You can prepare the roast up to 1 day ahead, as far as this step]

Preheat oven to 400. If roast was prepared in advance, take it out of the refrigerator while oven is heating. Place olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork loin and brown on all sides. Place in oven and roast for 10-15 minutes -- until meat reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Remove meat from pan and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5-15 minutes. Slice the roast diagonally, and pour the Red Wine Reduction Sauce over the pieces.

Red Wine Reduction Sauce
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine (Can be made with any hearty red, or use something sweeter and richer if you prefer: port or marsala wine will complement pork very nicely)
1 tbsp veal demiglaze (available in a jar) diluted in 1 cup hot water

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to moderate-high, and add vinegar. Cook another 2 minutes, and add wine. When sauce is reduced by about half, add the diluted demiglaze. Cook until the liquid volume is again reduced by half.

Note: This sauce takes 20-25 minutes to prepare. It can be prepared a day ahead if you prefer, and reheated over moderate-low heat.