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Grilled Pork Loin w/Apple-Cranberry Filling


UPDATE (9/29/08): I made this pork loin again a few days ago for a dinner party. However, this time I baked it in the oven instead of cooking it on the grill. I much preferred it in the oven, and it got rave reviews! The outside was more tender, and it was more moist overall. Just bake it at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours...or until instant read thermometer reads 145 - 150 degrees.



***Okay ladies and gentlemen, I've officially found my favorite way to prepare a pork loin. This dish was a.m.a.z.i.n.g....and it didn't just taste good, but it made my entire house smell of sweet apples, cranberries, cinnamon, fresh ginger and apple cider...oh my goodness. It was like Yankee Candle good...lol.

This would no doubt be the perfect holiday dish...or just the perfect way to welcome the fall season. I'm so happy that there are left-overs sitting in my fridge right now. The fact that its grilled makes this one even better.

This recipe made its way to me via iTunes of all places. I subscribe to the Cooks Illustrated Podcast, and this is the most recent video. HERE is a link to some very helpful notes for this recipe.

Did I mention that I loved this dish? LOL.***

From Cooks Illustrated:
"This recipe is best prepared with a loin that is 7 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide. To make cutting the pork easier, freeze it for 30 minutes. If mustard seeds are unavailable, stir an equal amount of whole-grain mustard into the filling after the apples have been processed. The pork loin can be stuffed and tied a day ahead of time, but don't season the exterior until you are ready to grill."

INGREDIENTS:
Filling
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 large shallot , halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups dried apples (packed), 4 ounces
1/2 cup dried cranberries (packed), 2 1/2 ounces
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds (see note above)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pork Loin
2 cups wood chips
2 1/2 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (see note above)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for cooking grate

DIRECTIONS:
1. FOR THE FILLING: Bring all ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Push mixture through fine-mesh strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes; reserve glaze. Meanwhile, pulse apple mixture in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer filling to bowl and refrigerate while preparing pork.


2. FOR THE PORK: Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut meat to even 1/2-inch thickness. Season inside liberally with salt and spread apple filling in even layer, leaving 1/2-inch border. Roll tightly and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Season exterior liberally with salt and pepper.

3.Drain chips and place in small disposable aluminum pan. About 20 minutes before grilling, place pan with chips on primary burner (burner that will remain on during cooking); position cooking grate over burners. Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down for 15 minutes. Scrape and oil grate. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). Place roast, fat-side up, on side opposite primary burner.
4. Grill-roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 130 to 135 degrees, 55 to 70 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking time. Brush roast with half of reserved glaze; flip and brush with remaining glaze. (You may need to reheat glaze briefly to make spreadable.) Continue to cook until glaze is glossy and sticky, about 5 minutes longer.
5. Transfer roast to cutting board, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. (Internal temperature should rise to about 145 degrees.) Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, removing twine as you cut. Serve immediately.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Looks amazing! How many servings is it?
Celeste said…
It really is SO good! You'll want to buy the best-quality & largest pork loin that you can find. That will make cutting it into one layer easier. I think we fed about 8-9 people. Enjoy! :)
Anonymous said…
What type of pan did you bake it in? Did you baste it while cooking? I am assuming glaze was put over top after cooking. Thanks
Anonymous said…
I was wondering the same thing. Was it baked ona sheet, on a grate, or in a pan? wrapped in foil? Thanks

P.S. I love your website aesthetics.
The Turk said…
I made the same dish from the same receipe from Cooks Illustrated. My wife thought the apple vinger was a bit too strong but I was pretty pleased witb the results. Nice blog!

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