Chorizo and Cosmic Crisp® Apple Spiral Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Directions

Culinary Challenge Honorable Mention: Best Main Dish

Recipe by Jolene Neufeldt, honorable mention for Best Main Dish under the At-Home Chef Category of the Culinary Challenge!

1. Prepare pork roast: Pat roast dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife cut along long side of roast  approximately 1 inch from top across the roast to the left but not all the way through. Open up that flap and from the side still connected cut down about another inch cutting to the right  but again not all the way through. Open up that flap and you should have a fairly flat rectangle of meat about 1 inch thick. Using plastic wrap to cover the meat  take a meat mallet and pound the meat to even thickness trying your best to maintain the rectangle shape.
2. Brine:  Combine all ingredients except ice and bring to a boil in a medium pot. Remove from heat and add ice. Once room temperature add prepared pork roast and keep in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 24 but no more. Prepare Spice Rub: Combine all ingredients and set aside. Prepare Stuffing: Stuffing can be made while meat is brining and kept in fridge until ready to use. Stuffing must be cold to stuff meat. In a medium saute pan  add 1 tbsp of the olive oil and saute chorizo until golden brown. Once cooked  remove to a medium sized bowl while trying to leave any fat behind. In the same pan add the remaining tbsp of olive oil and the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add apples to the pan and this should help to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and cook until apples are tender about 3 minutes.
3. Deglaze with the sherry vinegar and remove everything to the bowl with the chorizo. Add the 2 tsp spice rub  bread crumbs and egg and mix until evenly combined. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
4. Prepare Chutney: Heat a medium saute pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and then the onions and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until translucent and starting to brown  adding 1 tbsp of water if browning too quickly. Add the sliced apple and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until tender. Add the brown sugar  vinegar lemon juice and water stirring well. Turn down the heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the apples are soft and the onions are caramelized. Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge until ready to use.
5. To stuff and cook roast: Remove pork roast from brine  rinse and pat dry. Lay out the rectangle of meat with the side with the fat cap touching the cutting board. Arrange stuffing in an even layer on the rectangle of meat. Have your butchers twine ready. Roll up the meat starting at a short side making sure that when it’s all rolled up the fat cap of the roast is on the top. Tie at 1 inch intervals with the butcher’s twine. Evenly coat the roast with the spice rub.
6. OPTIONAL: tightly wrap the stuffed and tied roast in plastic wrap and put back in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. This is helpful if you don’t want to cook the roast right away and also to maintain the shape.   Preheat oven to 375 F. Using a cast iron skillet that will fit your roast evenly  add 2 tbsp olive oil and brown the roast evenly on all sides. Remove the roast to a sheet pan with an oven safe rack or roasting pan with a rack and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 F . Time will vary with size of roast. Start checking after 30 mins but may take up to 1 hour. Once internal temperature has been reached  remove roast and allow to rest for 15 mins. Slice thickly and serve with Cosmic Crisp® Apple and Onion Chunky