Apricot-stuffed Pork Loin Recipe

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…. a new take on "tradition"…

Chicken and turkey are so cliché, so maybe it's time to try something different! This roast pork recipe (courtesy of Country Living) is an interesting alternative to the traditional mainstays, and will help mark your Christmas Dinner or New Year's Feast as a memorable one. There is a slightly more complex variation on this (Roast Pork Loin with Herb Stuffing), which you might want to try instead, or perhaps make both, since they share many ingredients in common.

Apricot-stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients

• 11 oz. dried apricots
• 1 pork loin
• 6 clove garlic
• 2½ tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
• 1½ c. low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Method

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring apricots and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
2. Using a long thin knife, cut a 1 1/2-inch-wide slit through center of pork loin lengthwise. Insert a wooden spoon handle and widen the opening. In a small bowl, mix apricots, half the garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pack mixture into opening in pork loin.
3. Tie pork loin at 1 1/2-inch intervals with 10- to 12-inch lengths of kitchen twine.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Using a mortar and pestle, grind together chopped rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to a coarse rub. Mix in remaining garlic and rub all over pork loin.
5. Place pork loin in a medium roasting pan fitted with a rack and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and pour broth over pork loin. Return to oven and continue to roast, basting every 15 minutes, until the meat’s internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F, up to 1 more hour.
6. Transfer roast to a wire rack to rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Garnish with rosemary sprigs. Meanwhile, strain pan juices into a gravy boat (reheat jus in a small saucepan over low heat if necessary)

If  you loved this apricot-stuffed pork loin recipe, check out another 11 in our round-up of Classic Christmas recipes for 2019.