Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Spinach & Cheese

(p. 128) (Serves 4 to 6)

This recipe was one of the fortunate outcomes of an evening where I was rummaging in the refrigerator looking to cook with items I had on hand. After combining three different recipes, the result was surprisingly good – easy enough for everyday and attractive enough for entertaining. If you don’t have all the ingredients, start with the spinach and let your pantry and refrigerator be your guide.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic, divided
3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained (more to taste)
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 packages (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 cup goat cheese crumbles
2 pork tenderloins (around ¾ pounds each)
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 1 teaspoon of the chopped garlic and sauté for just a minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, lemon zest and spinach. Cook, stirring, until heated through and any moisture remaining on the spinach is cooked out. Turn heat low and add goat cheese and keep stirring until the cheese is well incorporated and begins to melt. Season with salt and pepper and remove the heat.

Place one pork tenderloin on a large cutting board and cut it in half length-wise, cutting mostly but not all the way through. Open it up so the tenderloin lays flat in one piece. Cover with wax paper and pound to an even thickness. Trim off tail ends so the tenderloin is a rectangular shape. Repeat with second tenderloin.

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Take half of the spinach mixture and spread it in the middle of one tenderloin. Fold up the sides and secure with toothpicks. (Note” if you have pounded your tenderloin fairly thin, you may want to roll it up instead of folding it, and secure it by tying the tenderloin up with string.) Repeat with the second tenderloin. Place side by side in a 7×11-inch baking dish. You may have some filling left over, depending on the size of your tenderloins.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining garlic, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Brush over the top and sides of the stuffed tenderloins. Bake until the tenderloins reach 155 to 160 degrees with an instant-read thermometer, approximately 50 minutes (make sure you are measuring the temperature of the tenderloins and not the stuffing).

Remove to a cutting board and with a sharp knife carefully cut into 1-inch slices. Remove toothpicks after cutting.

Make Ahead: Pork can be stuffed but not baked earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.

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