Fall always makes me want to have people over for dinner. The days get shorter, the evenings get cooler and suddenly gathering around a table for a proper meal seems like exactly the right thing to do. And if you are going to have a dinner party, you might as well serve something with a little drama.
This Fig and Gorgonzola Stuffed Pork Loin certainly delivers. Slice into the burnished roast at the table and you reveal a swirl of bourbon-soaked figs, deeply caramelized red onions, tangy Gorgonzola and fresh sage. It looks like a showstopper, but there is nothing particularly difficult about making it. You butterfly the pork, flatten it a little, spread on the filling, then roll it up and tie it. Better yet, you can do all of that a day ahead, which is perfect for dinner parties.
And don’t save this one just for an October dinner party. It would make a beautiful centerpiece for Christmas dinner, and if turkey isn’t your thing, it could take center stage at Thanksgiving. Add a good potato dish, something green and perhaps a simple salad, and you have dinner.
A word about the pork: you are looking for a boneless center-cut pork loin roast, not pork tenderloin. Pork loin is the larger, wider cut that can be butterflied and rolled around the filling. Look for one that is fairly even in thickness from end to end, with a modest, even fat cap on top. A four-pound roast gives you enough surface area for a generous spiral of filling and makes an impressive platter when sliced. And if you have a good butcher, you could even ask them to butterfly and flatten it ready for stuffing and rolling.
For the filling, roughly chop the bourbon-soaked figs so there aren’t any enormous pieces that make the roast difficult to roll—or later cause a slice to fall apart. And this is the place to use real Gorgonzola, not a mild generic blue cheese. You want its creamy texture and assertive tang to stand up to the sweet figs and onions. The point isn’t for the pork to taste overwhelmingly blue-cheesy; it’s that little salty, tangy bite running through all that autumnal sweetness.
Kitchen Favorites
Smithey cast iron skillet, Le Creuset Oval casserole, Le Creuset baker, All-Clad saucepan, Le Creuset braiser, Made-In knives
Ingredients
5 ounces dried figs
1 ½ cups bourbon
2 large red onions
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 4-pound pork loin
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Place the figs in a small saucepan with the bourbon and heat over medium heat until the bourbon just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Peel the onions and cut in half, then slice into very thin half-moons using a mandoline or the slicing blade of a food processor. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the onions, shuffling to separate. Sprinkle over the salt. Cook until they are wilted and beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Pour in ½ cup of water and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan and stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated. Add the brown sugar and stir, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply browned and jammy. Remove to a bowl and cool completely.
- Spread a large piece of parchment paper on the counter, then place the pork loin on it, fat side down. Use a sharp knife to slice lengthwise down the center – but only going about 2/3 of the way through the meat. Do not cut it completely in half. Open the loin like a book, then make slices lengthwise down the center of each of the two sides. You want to then open the loin flat. Place a second piece of parchment on top and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to flatten it out slightly. Don’t pound the heck out of it, just create a flat surface.
- Drain the figs, reserving the soaking bourbon and roughly chop the figs. Spread the caramelized onions in a thin layer over the open pork loin. Distribute the figs evenly over the onions, then crumble the gorgonzola and spread it evenly, particularly between the fig pieces. Finely chop the sage and sprinkle it over the top. Starting with the short end of the rectangle, roll the loin up as tightly as you can. Use kitchen twine to tie the roll together in at least three places.
- You can do this up to a day ahead. Wrap the tied loin tightly in plastic and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, then unwrap and continue on.
- Season the outside generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat a thin film of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown well on all sides, turning carefully so the roll stays intact, about 6 to 8 minutes total.
- Transfer the pork to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat — not into the filling — registers 140°F to 145°F, about 45 to 60 minutes. Begin checking on the early side, as the cooking time will depend on how thickly the loin is rolled.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes.
- While the pork rests, make the sauce. Pour off any excess fat from the roasting pan and place it over medium heat. Carefully add ½ cup of the reserved fig-infused bourbon and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by about half. Add the chicken broth and continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and is lightly syrupy, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the tablespoon of butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Remove the twine from the pork and cut into thick slices. Arrange on a platter and spoon a little of the bourbon pan sauce over the slices, serving the remaining sauce alongside.
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