Indulge in a succulent pork loin stuffed with a flavorful blend of spinach and fontina cheese, possibly our favorite 'stuffing' yet. This recipe guides you through creating the perfect roast, complete with a rich pork gravy made from pan drippings.
Cook the pancetta in a large braiser or oven-safe skillet over medium heat until it is crispy.
Add the onion and saute 5 minutes longer, until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
Add the spinach, a little at a time, until it all is wilted into the pan.
Sautee the spinach until the moisture has evaporated and the spinach has wilted down completely about 7 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the spinach mixture to a large bowl and let it cool.
When the spinach has cooled, mix in the panko using your hands to make sure its evenly distributed. Set aside.
Butterfly the Pork Roast:
Remove the pork loin from the package and pat dry with paper towels.
Lay the pork loin on a large cutting board and using a sharp knife, butterfly the roast.
Assemble the Stuffed Pork Roast:
Season the Butterflied pork loin with salt.
Arrange the stuffing over the butterflied pork roast in an even layer, leaving about an inch on the edges.
Sprinkle the fontina and asiago cheese over top.
Add the lemon zest.
Roll the roast tightly up, forming a long cylindrical tube.
Tie it, about every inch, with butcher’s twine to secure it. Some filling will fall out, set it aside to bake with the roast.
Rub the roast on all sides with oil.
Sear the Pork Loin:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Preheat the same pan that you sauteed the spinach, over medium-high heat.
Add the pork loin, fat cap down, and sear it until a golden brown crust forms, 5 to 7 mintues.
Rotate and continue to sear on all sides.
Roast the Pork Loin:
Flip the roast, seam side down.
Add any of the filling that came out, back into the braiser or skillet on either side of the stuffed pork loin.
Transfer the braiser to the oven, uncovered, and let the roast cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
Rest:
Carefully remove the roast from the oven.
Transfer the roast and any filling to a rimmed cutting board and tent it with foil to rest.
Make the Pan Gravy:
Meanwhile, make the pork gravy.
Carefully discard all but one tablespoon of drippings.
Place the skillet over medium heat and add in the white wine.
As the white wine simmers, use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits, deglazing the pan.
Add the minced garlic and let it simmer for 30 seconds longer.
Carefully add in all but 1 tablespoon of the chicken broth.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the remaining broth to form a slurry.
Pour in the slurry and whisk the broth as it simmers until it thickens 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the gravy from the heat and stir in the butter to melt, forming a smooth, luscious pork gravy with the pan drippings.
Slice and Serve the Stuffed Pork Loin:
Using scissors or sheers, remove the butcher's twine from the roast.
Starting from one end, cut the roast into thin slices, about ¼” thick.
Arrange the slices on a platter with the gravy.
Garnish with the minced parsley, flakey salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh lemon zest.
Notes
We paired this with mashed potatoes and roasted fennel.