Saturday, July 14, 2012

More Grilled Stuffed Stuff

Grilled Spinach Stuffed Tenderloin & Red Potato Skewers


     During the school year while I am going a million miles an hour at full throttle, I tend to live life by the seat of my pants.  Lovely pieces of meat get bought at a good sale price, but are then thrown in the freezer and forgotten about.  One of my goals this summer is to discover what is in my freezer and to use it!  I've been eyeing a pork tenderloin that's been in their a while;  it was actually half of a larger portion that was used several months ago.  Since I've been in a grilling/stuffing mode, I decided the time was right to make a dish the family loves for company.  It's really super easy and the girls (who say they don't like pork) love it!  We usually serve it with skewered red potato recipe that I found several years ago on Epicurious.com.  The potatoes are slathered in Dijon mustard, garlic, and rosemary - the aroma is heavenly!


Grilled Spinach Stuffed Tenderloin

One pork tenderloin (Mine was probably about 2 pounds)
3 pieces of cooking string

For the "Stuffing"
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
1 teaspoon dried fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the Rub
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
2 teaspoon dried fennel seed
1 teapoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.  With a sharp knife, "butterfly" the loin.  Be careful to not to cut all the way through to the other side.






2.  Lay the pieces of string underneath the open loin.



3.  Mix the "stuffing" ingredients all together, place the mixture in the middle of the loin, close it, and tie it shut with the string.



4.  Mix the rub ingredients into a paste and smear it all over the outside of the meat.

5..Grill the pork loin over low heat, turning every 10 minutes for about 30 minutes.  Insert a meat thermometer and check that the internal temperature has reached 155 degrees.  Let it rest 5 minutes before slicing.



Grilled Red Potato Skewers

1 pound small red potatoes
8 wooden skewers, soaked at least 20 minutes in water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper



     Wash and cut each potato in half.  Cook the potatoes in boiling water just until a fork can be inserted easily. Drain the potatoes.  Mix the olive oil, mustard, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.  Gently add the potatoes and coat them with the mustard mixture.  Thread the potatoes on the skewers.  Place them on the grill and cook them 5 minutes per side so they get some nice grill marks.




2 comments:

  1. This recipe will add life to our otherwise boring pork loin! thank you Julie!

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    Replies
    1. My brother, David, has a pork loin recipe that is to die for! He is at the lake right now - if you see him, ask him for it! :)

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