Stuffed Pork

Stuffed pork is a savory dish prepared by filling  pork with vegetables and/or sausage, often, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Herbs like parsley, basil, and rosemary are also suggested as the pork stuffing ingredients as per a few recipe variants.  Other stuffing ingredients may consist of mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, celery, garlic, bell pepper, apples, and sage. Bread or bread crumbs are also used as stuffing as per several recipes. Pork tenderloin, pork roast, or crown roast of pork is often used to prepare stuffed pork dish. In case of crown roast based dish, seasoned pork roast is placed in a baking dish with bone ends facing upwards and then stuffed in the centre, before baking in oven. On the other hand, pork tenderloin refers to pork’s cut, and pork roast refers to barbequed whole pork. Pork chops are also mentioned in a few recipes, which pertain to pork’s cut, that’s extracted by  cutting the meat perpendicular to the pig’s spine, and often consisting of a portion of vertebra or rib. Though most of the recipes suggest baking the dish in oven, however, a few recipes also suggest baking the dish in a large skillet. A few recipes also suggest baking the dish after covering it with aluminum foil. Usually a twine (string) or toothpick is used to hold the pork and the stuffing together       

Commonly Used Ingredients and Preparation Overview of Stuffed Pork

The ingredients suggested as per a popular stuffed pork recipe consist of pork tenderloin, chopped onions, bread crumbs, butter, fresh parsley, sage, salt, pepper, crushed dried rosemary, lightly beaten eggs, and bacon strip.

The dish is prepared by sautéing onions and bread crumbs in butter, before stirring in parsley, rosemary, sage, egg, salt, and pepper. This pork stuffing is placed inside the pork tenderloin, which has been cut lengthwise. Pork is then baked in oven after closing it and topping it with bacon strip. It is served after slicing into several parts.

Stuffed Pork Recipe Variations

Among a number of stuffed pork variations, a few of them have been discussed below:

• Sausage stuffed variant- pork sausage is browned and then sautéed along with garlic and onions, before stirring in parmesan cheese, egg, herb seasoned stuffing mix, chicken broth, and spinach. The pork stuffing is then placed in pork roast’s pockets and baked twice: first uncovered and then after covering it loosely with aluminum foil.

• Cheese stuffed pork roast- the recipe for this dish suggests pulsing together cream cheese and cheddar cheese along with the other ingredients consisting of chopped green onions, chopped sun dried tomatoes, chopped green bell pepper, fresh garlic, dried basil, parsley, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce. This pork stuffing is then filled inside  pork roast. The pork is baked in a casserole saucier which already contains a mix of white wine and chicken broth. The pork roast is topped with salt, pepper, basil, and chives before baking.

• Apple stuffed pork loin roast- This stuffed pork recipe suggests stirring in egg, bread, salt, pepper, and butter in sautéed mix of apples, sage, and onions, and then adding chicken broth, before stuffing the mix into pork loin roast. The pork is then rolled and tied tightly with a twine, before roasting it in oven. It is served after garnishing it with fresh herbs and apples.

• Crown roast of pork with cranberry sausage stuffing- pork roast is seasoned with pepper and salt, placed in a shallow pan with bone ends facing upwards, and then spooned with a mix of browned sausage, herb seasoned stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, chopped apples, and seasonings in the centre of pork roast. The dish is covered with aluminum foil before baking.

• Cherry and mushroom stuffed pork chops- pork chops are cut to create deep pockets which are stuffed with a mix of sautéed onions, mushrooms, celery, and several other ingredients consisting of thyme, cherries, and seasoning. The pockets are sealed and held with toothpicks, before baking them in a skillet. Thereafter, a mix of flour, cherry juice, and chicken broth is prepared, and poured over pork chops to coat them evenly.

• Pork chops stuffed with apples and celery- a pocket is cut in the pork chop and stuffed with pork stuffing made by combining together moistened bread, apples, onions, seasonings, and celery. The stuffed pork chops are baked in a large skillet until brown from both sides and served hot.