On a recent day off work, I stumbled upon a farmer's market in a small town near where I live. I ended up with quite a haul, including butterbeans, banana and cayenne peppers, red potatoes, zucchini and yellow squash, and some amazing tomatoes.
This coincided nicely with the recent acquisition of a KitchenAid stand-up mixer, which resulted in both homemade Italian bread and pork sausage, which form the basis of the stuffing. I did two tenderloins that were around 1 1/4 lbs each.
Start by rubbing the meat with a dry-rub at least 6 hours (and up to overnight) before cooking. I use a mix of brown sugar, kosher salt, black and cayenne pepper, onion and garlic powder, ground sage, and parsley flakes. Its similar to what I use for BBQ, but without cumin and paprika, and the peppers are toned down to let the herbs through. Recipes for the bread and the sausage are below.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloins
Start by browning about 1/3 lb. of the sausage over medium heat, and add 2 tbsp. chopped shallots, 1/4 cup minced sweet onion, 1 tbsp. chopped cayenne and 3 medium banana peppers (chopped), 1 rib diced celery, and a generous handful of fresh parsley. The sausage I make is very lean and doesn't have much added fat, so I typically add a little butter to help soften the vegetables.
Since the sausage is heavily seasoned and the stuffing takes on a lot of juices from the meat, I typically don't use stock, but just water, for this stuffing, and the flavor is great - it highlights all the wonderful ingredients being used. Once the veggies are softened, add around 1 cup of water. You may have to experiment a bit with this amount depending on how much bread you use, whether its fresh or stale, and your desired consistency.
Avoid making the stuffing too moist initially as it will abosrb moisture from the meat during cooking. Season to taste with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, and a small amount of paprika. Once the water is at a low boil, add around 3 cups of bread cubes or crumbs. As with the water, you may have to adjust this as you go. Turn off the heat and continue to stir until all liquid is absorbed and the stuffing is at the desired consistency - not too moist. Let the stuffing cool completely before the next step.
Take each tenderloin and position it so that the "skinny" side is facing up -- pork tenderloins are often wide and somewhat flat, so you want to make the cut along the thinner side. Start about 2 inches in from the tip (you'll tie this up with twine in a bit) and cut a pocket, stopping about 2 inches from the large end of the tenderloin. This should be deep enough to hold a generous portion of stuffing, but do not cut all the way through, or leave only a thin layer of meat.
Sprinkle the inside pocket of the tenderloins with a small amount of dry rub. Spread a 1-inch layer of stuffing along the sides and bottom of the pocket, and tie the tenderloins with butcher's twine. Tying the tip of the tenderloin overtop of that end of the pocket will prevent it from being exposed directly to the heat and overcooking. Once tied, you will likely be able to add additional stuffing to the meat. Grill over hot coals for 30-40 minutes, allowing the stuffing to reach an internal temperature of 155 before removing.
I use hardwood charcoal, mixed with hickory, and place the loins just off-center (3-4 inches) of the fire to avoid the full direct heat. Since these won't be turned during cooking, the bottom may char if placed directly over the hot coals.
For a simple side, take cubed red potatoes, yellow and green squash, and diced onions and banana peppers, coat with olive oil, toss with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley, and bake covered at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.
Basic Italian Bread
Place one packet of yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water, around 100 degrees, with 1 tbsp of sugar. Let this sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add 1 1/2 tbsp sea salt and 1 3/4 cup of warm water to the mixing bowl and allow the salt to dissolve completely.
Using the paddle attachment, blend in 3 cups of sifted unbleached flour. Add the yeast mixture and mix briefly, and blend in an additional 1 1/2 cups of flour. Let this rest for 10 minutes, then switch to the dough hook attachment, and knead for 6-8 minutes, adding additional flour as needed if the dough is too sticky.
When done, dough should be elastic and form a ball without sticking to the bowl or your hands. Place in an oiled bowl (olive oil only...) and let rise for 2 hours. Punch the dough down and knead for an additional 2 minutes, adding more flour if needed.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then shape into 2 loaves, and let rise, on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, until the loaves are doubled in size. Make 3 diagonal slits across the top of each loaf using a very sharp knife.
Place into a 425 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40-50 minutes until golden brown. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Italian Pork Sausage
Start with 2 lbs. of fresh ground pork. I prefer to get the leanest I can, or grind from lean cuts, and add small amounts of fatback. This greatly reduces the fat content and allows for wonderful flavor.
Place the ground meat in the mixer (using a paddle attachment) and add:
- 3-4 tbps. finely chopped pork fatback, rind removed
- 2 tsp freshly ground sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp parsley flakes
- 1 1/2 - 2 tsp fennel seeds, gently crushed with mortal and pestle
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp paprika
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