Grilled Pork Loin Stuffed with Craisins and Feta

As I was sitting on the couch with the kids this morning, I heard, "Hey... Callie... It's me.  You know, that pork roast in the fridge that needs to be cooked.  Don't leave me hanging here.  You know how bad old pork smells."  So, I got up off the coach and gathered a few cookbooks to look through to find a good recipe.  After looking at pulled pork, pork carnitas or other tacos, and a myriad of the other recipes, I found this one.  The weather was lovely today, so I decided to go the grilling route.  It turned out wonderful!  The original recipe called for dried pears, walnuts, and gargonzola, but I didn't have any on hand.  I did, however, have craisins, pecans, and feta.  Score!  It was a good substitution.  Either way, it's a nice twist on a pork roast that doesn't take that much effort.

Pork Loin Stuffed with Craisins and Feta

source: Grill It!  A Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

serves: 5

1/2 onion, diced

1 T butter

3/4 c dried Craisins (or dried pear or apple)

1/4 c chopped pecans (or walnuts)

2 T feta (or Gargonzola)

1/2 T balsamic vinegar

1.5-2 lb pork roast

2 t rosemary

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t pepper

In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the onion and cook for about five minutes, or until they are softened.  Remove from the heat and add the craisins, pecans, and feta.  I totally missed the vinegar when I did it, so you could include it or not. Set the stuffing aside.

Trim the pork loin of any giant fat pockets.  Cut it in half lengthwise.

 Using some kitchen string or other cotton string, cut five strips and place them underneath the pork loin.  This will make it easier to tie the top part on once the stuffing is on there.

 Spoon the stuffing on top.  It may fall all over the place, but there will be plenty to go around.

 Put the other half of the pork loin on top of the stuffing and tie the string around to keep it all in place.  I trimmed my string so it looked a little better.

 Combine the garlic, rosemary, and pepper and rub onto the top of the meat. 

Preheat the grill to medium (about 350 degrees) and place the roast in a roasting pan over indirect heat.  If you've never done that, just place the meat over a burner that is off. 

 Grill the meat for an hour or until the interior registers 150 degrees, flipping the meat halfway through.

 Once it is done, remove it and tent it with foil.  Let it rest for 15 minutes.  The temperature will go up a little more and the juices will redistribute so the meat isn't dry.  After the 15 minutes, remove the string and slice the meat.  Serve to hungry folks.

I really wish my camera took better close-up pictures.  It would revolutionize my blog.