"springtime" stuffing for pork?!?!

[foodfiend]

I stuffed a pork loin for a party last December (thanks to help from Jean!) and it was great-- cornbread, apple, dried cranberries. I planned to make the same thing for my Mom's birthday dinner in mid-February. Bought the pork loin, butterflied it, then froze it (to await brining). Unfortunately, we had to cancel the party due to the frigid weather (couldn't leave the farm even for one overnight because the pipes would freeze). Same the next weekend, then the next, then for the next two weekends either one person or the other had previous plans... so we just decided to do it on Easter (along with 7 other birthdays that occur between February 14th and April 20th!). One big birthday party/ dinner!

Alas, I have enough butterflied pork loin for 18 people in the freezer. Although this isn't a typical Easter dinner main course, we going to go ahead and cook it.

My problem is that I consider pork roast a fall/ winter meal. Cornbread, apples, cranberies, walnuts... not much of that sounds like spring! So, does anyone have an idea of what I could do? I'd like to keep the cornbread, if possible, but what other flavors would be "spring-like", yet "go" with the pork?

I really haven't cooked pork a lot, and need some direction because it's rather unfamiliar to me.

[Trixxee]

This is for a tenderloin but why not for a loin?

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/stuffed-pork-tenderloin-2/

[cjs]

darn - had it all typed up and lost it!

The first thing that popped into my mind reading your post, Vicci, is a dish I used to make a lot and need to again!! It's for a leg of lamb, marinated and then quickly grilled. The flavors and method could be easily done with your pork and I think it would be wonderful and a little more spring like than a heavy stuffing. I think it is an old Cuisine or B.A. recipe from the 80s and I first made it for a Mother's Day get together, so very spring.

Anyway, here it is -

* Exported from MasterCook *

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Pomegranate marinade:
2 large onions, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 lemon, unpeeled and cut into chunks
2 teaspoons basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
----------
1 8 lb. legs of lamb, trimmed and butterflied (not difficult nor time-consuming)

Marinade: Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender (in batches if necessary) and puree.

Arrange lamb in a 10X14" roasting pan. Pour half the marinade over the lamb and turning to cover completely.
Marinate 8-10 hours, or up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Wipe excess marinade from lamb.

Grill the lamb to a temperature of 130 F.

Note for testing - I think we basted these with some of the marinade while they grilled. - try it - but I don't have that in the instructions.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Let us know what you decide to do with the pork.

[foodfiend]

Jean, that recipe looks delicious and I will absolutely try it with pork. Our grill at the new house is a Weber charcoal with gas "starter", and I can't imagine how this will tste grilled over charcoal. THANKS!

But, for Easter dinner, there are 2 reasons why we can't grill. One is that, quite possibly, it will be snowing. My parents live a couple of hours north of us. The other is that I have 2 large slabs of butterflied pork loin and don't think that they will fit together on my parents' grill.

Now, Trixxee, the recipe which you suggested looks very good. It's similar to one that I found yesterday:

http://kchawgskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/...ragus.html

So, I may just meld the two recipes. Use a stuffing of bacon, spinach, mushrooms, and fontina from the one recipe, add the mustard, shallot, and seasonings from the other.

What do you all think? Would the Dijon mustard not "work" with the fontina? Any suggestions?

[cjs]

Your combination sounds great, Vicci. You have a winner there, I think. Please take notes and let me know - I'd like to try it.

[Trixxee]

I think it sounds great as well! Yum.

[Gourmet_Mom]

I think that sounds great, Vicci! I've done a stuffed pork chop with similar flavors and we loved it!

[dariushbabri]

I think it sounds great as well! Yum.

[Harborwitch]

Welcome to the forum!  Thank you for bringing this up to the top . . . Jean's lamb sounds so good.