Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Chestnuts and Cranberries

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This stuffed pork tenderloin has nice contrasting flavours with the fruity cranberries and lemon zest, and the nuttiness of the chestnuts mixed with a glass of cognac give a nice finishing touch to the flavours.

Stuffing that combines well with pork

The pork tenderloin is very lean and dense, therefore it can be too plain if not combined with stronger flavours.

The fruitiness of the cranberries and lemon zest adds a nice bite to it, and the nuttiness of the chestnuts mixed with a glass of cognac integrates all the flavours into one.

You can use other types of meat for this roast, turkey and veal would also shine with this stuffing.

Ingredients for the stuffing

For 2 pork tenderloins

• 1/4 cup dry cranberries
• 1 cup cooked chestnuts
• 1 lemon zest

Mix all the ingredients together.

Cooked Chestnuts

Normally you can find cooked chestnuts in jars or cans. Make sure they are not sweetened like marron glace. If you cannot find cooked chestnuts, just boil them in water for 20 minutes and once they are cold, peel them. It is a long strenuous job so you are better off looking for the cooked ones even if you have to venture outside your usual shopping places.

Dry cranberries

If you live outside the USA, you may find it difficult to find cranberries. Here in Europe is getting easier but mainly in large towns. If you cannot find cranberries, you can use raisins but remember that cranberries are not as sweet as raisins. They are more acidic, so the taste will not be the same.

How to stuff a pork tenderloin

1. Remove the thicker fat covering the tenderloins
2. Cut halfway lengthwise
3. Partially carve the two halves lengthwise
4. Spread open the two pieces and hammer them flat with a meat tenderizer
5. Season both sides of the tenderloins with salt and pepper

6. Lay the stuffing over one tenderloin
7. Lay the second tenderloin over. The tenderloin has one side that is more rounded and another that is pointed. When you lay the two tenderloins over each other, make sure the pointed side of one tenderloin is over the round side of the other.

Tieing the tenderloins together

1. Using a piece of string for cooking, pass the string around both tenderloins 2 in/5 cm from one of the sides and tight a knot.
2. Holding the string at 1 in/2 cm from the knot, turn the long string around both tenderloins and pass it under the string you are holding
3. Pull the rest of the string to tighten the loop
4. Repeat every 1 in/2 cm

5. Repeat until you reach 2 in – 5 cm from the other end of the tenderloins
6. Turn the tenderloins over passing the string over the end.

7. Twist the string around each loop
8. Making the final knot at the other end

Cooking the pork tenderloin

1. Once the tenderloin is stuffed, sear it with some olive oil in a dutch oven pot over the stove.
2. Once seared, cover and cook in a hot oven at 430 F – 220C for 30-35 minutes, turning it around halfway.
3. Once it is done, remove from the pan over a cutting board.
4. Cover with aluminium foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it.

How to make the gravy with Cognac

1. While the pork is resting, deglaze the pan with 1 cup of water, 1 tsp of corn starch and 1 cube of chicken stock.
2. Let it boil and reduce until it thickens.
3. At the end add 1 cup of Cognac and let it evaporate.
4. Pour the gravy into a fancy ramekin. If you want it smooth, you can filter the gravy with a sieve.

Serving the stuffed tenderloin

1. Remove the string from the meat
2. Slice the meat
3. Lay the slices on a serving dish and pour some gravy on top
4. Leaving the rest of the gravy in the ramekin for guests to add on their plates.

What to serve with stuffed pork tenderloin

In the video, I serve the stuffed pork tenderloin with roast vegetables (Romanesco and sweet potatoes) and Yorkshire pudding. They are the best to serve with a roast with gravy as you can pour the gravy on top and they hold it in their holes. They are easy to make and I highly recommend you to try them if you never have.

Other side dishes you can serve with this pork are;

• Risotto with porcini mushrooms
• Potatoes  Gratin Dauphinoise
• Gnocchi with truffle
• Chantarelle mushrooms and potatoes

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Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Chestnuts and Cranberries

The pork tenderloin is very lean and can be too plain if not combined with stronger flavours. The fruitiness of the cranberries and lemon zest adds a nice bite to it, and the nuttiness of the chestnuts mixed with a glass of cognac integrates all the flavours into one.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings: 8 people

Print Pin Rate

Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients

• 2 pork tenderloins
• 3 tbsp olive oil

For the stuffing

• 1/4 cup dry cranberries
• 1 cup cooked chestnuts
• 1 lemon zest

For the gravy

• 2 cups water
• 1 cube chicken stock
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Cognac

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

Make the stuffing

• Mix all the ingredients together.

Stuffing the pork tenderloins

• Remove the thicker fat covering the tenderloins
• Cut halfway lengthwise
• Partially carve the two halves lengthwise
• Spread open the two pieces and hammer them flat with a meat tenderizer
• Season both sides of the tenderloins with salt and pepper
• Lay the stuffing over one tenderloin
• Lay the second tenderloin over. The tenderloin has one side that is more rounded and another that is pointed. When you lay the two tenderloins over each other, make sure the pointed side of one tenderloin is over the round side of the other.

Tieing the tenderloins together

• Using a piece of string for cooking, pass the string around both tenderloins 2 in/5 cm from one of the sides and tight a knot.
• Holding the string at 1 in/2 cm from the knot, turn the long string around both tenderloins and pass it under the string you are holding
• Pull the rest of the string to tighten the loop
• Repeat every 1 in/2 cm
• Repeat until you reach 2 in - 5 cm from the other end of the tenderloins
• Turn the tenderloins over passing the string over the end.
• Twist the string around each loop
• Making the final knot at the other end

Cooking the pork tenderloin

• Once the tenderloin is stuffed, sear it with some olive oil in a dutch oven pot over the stove.
• Once seared, cover and cook in a hot oven at 430 F - 220C for 30-35 minutes, turning it around halfway.
• Once it is done, remove from the pan over a cutting board.
• Cover with aluminium foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it.

Make the gravy

• While the pork is resting, deglaze the pan with 1 cup of water, 1 tsp of corn starch and 1 cube of chicken stock.
• Let it boil and reduce until it thickens.
• At the end add 1 cup of Cognac and let it evaporate.
• Pour the gravy into a fancy ramekin. If you want it smooth, you can filter the gravy with a sieve.

Serving the stuffed tenderloin

• Remove the string from the meat
• Slice the meat
• Lay the slices on a serving dish and pour some gravy on top
• Leaving the rest of the gravy in the ramekin for guests to add on their plates.

Video

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Notes

Cooked Chestnuts

Normally you can find cooked chestnuts in jars or cans. Make sure they are not sweetened like marron glace. If you cannot find cooked chestnuts, just boil them in water for 20 minutes and once they are cold, peel them. It is a long strenuous job so you are better off looking for the cooked ones even if you have to venture outside your usual shopping places.

Dry cranberries

If you live outside the USA, you may find it difficult to find cranberries. Here in Europe is getting easier but mainly in large towns. If you cannot find cranberries, you can use raisins but remember that cranberries are not as sweet as raisins. They are more acidic, so the taste will not be the same.

Nutrition

Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 93g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 294mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 1868mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 8.2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 4.6mg

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Found out more about pork cuts and how to cook them

To find out more about pork cuts, their name in French and Italian and how to cook them you can read the article: Pork Cuts Names And How to Cook Them

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