It’s that time of year again, the season when I want to rush head-first into richer, heartier dishes. Bring on the cheese, the chutney and the rich, tender meat. This dish throws a lot of flavors and textures at you, pairing sweet and chewy figs with funky, salty blue cheese. The bright citrus of the marmalade and the savory, almost floral herbes de Provence all dance together with the pork to create a dish that’s complex and incredibly satisfying.
Fig and Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Adapted by Dee Ryan from a recipe by Marge Perry originally published in Cooking Light
4 servings
1 lb. pork tenderloin
½ cup dried (or fresh) figs, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Olive or canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup orange marmalade
1 Tbsp. herbes de Provence
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Slice the pork in half lengthwise, but do not cut all the way through. Open the butterflied tenderloin, laying it flat atop 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the tenderloin with a meat mallet (or small heavy skillet) until it reaches ½-inch in thickness.
• Sprinkle the figs and blue cheese atop the pork, leaving a ½-inch around the edges.
• Roll the pork lengthwise, like a jelly roll, to encapsulate the filling. Secure at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine or toothpicks.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the entire tenderloin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and place in a baking dish. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Just before you take the pork out of the oven, heat the marmalade in the microwave for 15 seconds.
• Remove the pork from the oven.
• Stir the herbes de Provence into the melted marmalade and brush the mixture over the pork roll.
• Place the pork back in the oven for 5 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
• Let the pork rest for 10 minutes, then remove the twine or toothpicks, slice and serve.
This article appears in October 2011.