Roast Pork Loin with Spinach Stuffing

A delicious and elegant entree for any time you are feeling a little fancy. Its actually very easy to prepare. Serve it with my favorite low-carb side dish Mashed Cauliflower.

​Serves 6
 
3-pound boneless pork roast or pork loin (not pork tenderloin)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed 
1 16-ounce jar roasted red pepper, drained
8 ounces feta, crumbled
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil, pork fat, or coconut oil
Butcher’s twine
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. To prepare the filling, squeeze the thawed spinach of excess water and place into a large bowl. Roughly chop the drained roasted peppers and add to the spinach. Add the crumbled feta, chopped parsley, and oil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Evenly combine all the stuffing ingredients.
2. Holding a sharpened boning knife or chef’s knife parallel to the cutting board, make a horizontal slice lengthwise about 1/3 of the way from the bottom, stopping about 1/2- inch from the other side. Open the flap like a book. Make another horizontal cut into the thicker side of the roast, level with the first cut and stopping about one inch from the edge. Open that flap to create a flat piece of meat. As an alternative, you can cut the loin in half being sure to stop at 1/2 inch from the edge and opening like a book. Stuff and tie with twine.
3. Spoon the filling mixture onto the pork loin and cover the entire surface of the loin. Press the filling in an even layer.
4. Carefully roll the loin towards the end that has the fat facing down so that the fat is exposed when complete.
5. Cut 5 pieces of twine 18-inches long. Tie the stuffed loin with twine so that the loin is firmly held together. 
6. In a small bowl combine the chopped rosemary with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper. Coat the loin with the seasoning and press into the meat.
7. In a large ovenproof sauté pan, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Place the stuffed pork loin into the pan fat side down and sear until browned.  Turn the pork over and place the pan into preheat oven and cook until a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees, or about 40-45 minutes.  Remove the loin from the oven tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

 
Notes:
You can often find instant read thermometers at the grocery store
Instant Read Thermometer
Digital Meat Probe
Butcher Twine

• Alternative seasoning: Add ¼ cup chopped fresh mint and/or ¼ cup chopped fresh dill to the stuffing.
• Replace the roasted peppers with ½ cup dried fruit-chopped apricots, dried cranberries, or dried cherries.
• Cook your roast on top of carrots, parsnips, or wedged potatoes and serve them as a side dish.