Stuffed Pork Loin with Cornbread, Apple, and Longaniza

Ingredients:

· 1 ½ - 2# pork loin, butterflied, (or tenderloin, not butterflied)

· Oil, Salt and Pepper

· 10 oz longaniza sausage, casing removed, cooked and crumbled

· 1 granny smith apple, diced

· 1.5 tsp. cider vinegar

· ½ C. chicken stock

· 1 small onion, diced

· 2 fennel stalks (green part only – fronds removed, but saved), diced

· 3 cloves garlic, minced

· 2 C. cornbread, premade

· 1 T. blackening seasoning

· 1 T. tarragon, chopped

· 1 T. rosemary, chopped

· Pinch of red pepper flakes

· 1 egg

· Salt and Pepper

Preparation

1. Butterfly the pork loin and season with salt and pepper on the inside, set aside for a moment. If using pork tenderloin, cut a hole through the tenderloin with a knife and open it up slightly with your fingers.

2. In a saute pan, cook the sausage, and when cooked transfer to a large bowl, leaving the grease from the sausage in the pan. Add the apple, onion, fennel and saute until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Transfer the vegetables to the sausage bowl.

3. Combine the longaniza, apple, onion, fennel, garlic, cornbread, vinegar, chicken stock, blackening seasoning, tarragon, rosemary, red pepper, egg and salt and pepper together and mix well to combine.

4. Place the mixture in the middle of the butterflied pork and spread out leaving about 1/2 inch to an inch around the edge. Roll the pork up to make a pinwheel and then truss it using twine (tie closed). If using tenderloin, stuff the mixture through the inside cavity of the tenderloin.

5. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add a little bit of oil and sear the pork on all sides, caramelizing to a deep brown color. Transfer the pork to a sheet tray and place in a 425 degree oven and cook until the pork is done. 6-8 minutes for tenderloin, 15-20 for pork loin, or until an inserted thermometer reads at 145 degrees in the middle. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with the reserved fronds.