“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”
Henry David Thoreau
Simply Elegant Mushroom Stuffed Pork
I want to be perfectly clear about a few things regarding today’s recipe right off the bat;
- It’s not difficult. I know many of you don’t believe that but trust me if I can do it so can you… seriously, I am not particularly artful with kitchen string AND…
- I think I may have skipped the meat tying day at culinary school AND YET I still made this work (see I did say it was easy!)
- This is one of those dishes that’s perfect for an intimate gathering mostly because it is so elegant and also it makes you seem like a kitchen goddess (or wizard or whatever name you prefer). All you need beyond the actual ingredients is something to flatten the meat. And if you don’t have that exact task-specific tool, a rolling pin works just as well. No kitchen twine? No problem, toothpicks are handy little devils too!
Since I’m clearing the air I’ve had something on my mind regarding a recent post that I’d like to mention. It seems that one of my readers felt that the quote I had chosen to accompany the article was designed to make me appear erudite (his word not mine) but with little actual knowledge of the person I was quoting. (And although I sometimes do not, in fact, know much about the person I’m choosing to quote, in this particular case I actually did!)
First I would like to point out that I had to look up erudite to confirm it actually meant what I thought it did, so CLEARLY I am not (but it did mean what I thought so phew!). And secondly, I rarely if ever take myself so seriously that I think I’m fooling people into believing me to be something or someone that I am not.
In the infinitely wise words of The Animals “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good, oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” (And if you don’t know this line I highly recommend clicking the link ‘cuz it’s one of the greatest songs OF ALL TIME!)
I pick quotes because they either speak to me and relate to the topic I’m writing about OR I just think they’re funny. I am just as likely to choose a line from the movie “Dumb & Dumber” as I am a quote from Stephen Hawking.
And so in keeping with the notion that I want only to share my love of cooking and all things delicious as well as the odd bit of humour or thought-provoking ideas I encourage you to try this pretty stuffed pork tenderloin.
Menu Suggestion: You could go a couple of ways with this. If it’s a simple weeknight presentation, then some green beans sautéed with shallot would be lovely or if you’re serving this at a dinner party I might suggest Roasted Squash & Chickpea Salad
Wine Pairing: I thought I might try my hand at the wine pairing this week and so with a little research on the topic I’ve discovered that a mild Chardonnay would be best so as not to overwhelm the delicate herb flavours.
Enjoy & Namaste!
- 4 large cremini mushrooms, rough chopped
- 1 TBSP fresh thyme
- 1 TBSP fresh chives, chopped
- 1 large handful fresh spinach rough chopped
- 2-3 heaping TBSP goat cheese
- zest of 1 Lemon
- Pork Tenderloin
- Sauté mushrooms until their liquid is released and they begin to golden. Toss in rough chopped spinach until just wilted.
- Add herbs and zest, tossing to combine. Set aside.
- Cut a slice down the entire length of the pork tenderloin but not all the way through. Gently pry it open and with a meat pounder or rolling pin give it several whacks to flatten. You don't have to go crazy, you just want it roughly the same thickness and spread out enough to be able to make the edges reach once you've added the veg stuffing.
- Tie up with either kitchen twine or fasten with toothpicks
- Season on all sides with S&P.
- You can now choose to cook it any number of ways from grilling to baking or my personal fave...
- Heat some oil in a cast iron pan and over medium high heat brown tenderloin turning often until golden brown on all sides then pop it into a 375° oven for about 30-40 minutes.
- I like my pork to be slightly pink but if that makes you nervous aim for an internal temp of 145°
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