A generous pour of bourbon is the secret to this juicy pork loin's sweet fruit stuffing, adapted from the book Square Meals (Knopf, 1984) by SAVEUR contributing editors Jane and Michael Stern.
Featured in: 20 Years of SAVEUR: Judith Jones
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted prunes
- ½ cups dried apricots
- 8 oz. bourbon
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1 tsp. grated orange zest
- ½ sweet apple, such as Golden Delicious or Honey Crisp, peeled and cut into ⅓" pieces
- 1 (3½-lb.) boneless pork loin, butterflied
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Butcher's string, for tying
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp. dried thyme
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 cup apple cider
Instructions
Step 1
Quarter prunes and apricots and place in a bowl; stir in bourbon. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit until plump, about 2 hours. Uncover and stir in honey, lemon and orange zests, and apple; set aside.
Step 2
Heat oven to 325°. Season pork with salt and pepper. Drain fruit, reserving juices, and spread fruit evenly over pork; tie securely with butcher's string. Transfer pork to a 9" x 13" baking dish. Using a paring knife, cut slits in top of pork; insert sliced garlic. Rub butter and thyme over pork and sprinkle with flour; pour reserved fruit juices and cider around pork and cover tightly with foil; bake 1 hour. Uncover pork and increase oven temperature to 425°; bake until browned, about 35 minutes more. Rest pork 15 minutes before slicing.
Step 3
Transfer pan juices to a 1-qt. saucepan; simmer until reduced by ¼, about 20 minutes. Slice pork and arrange on a serving platter; drizzle with sauce.
- Quarter prunes and apricots and place in a bowl; stir in bourbon. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit until plump, about 2 hours. Uncover and stir in honey, lemon and orange zests, and apple; set aside.
- Heat oven to 325°. Season pork with salt and pepper. Drain fruit, reserving juices, and spread fruit evenly over pork; tie securely with butcher's string. Transfer pork to a 9" x 13" baking dish. Using a paring knife, cut slits in top of pork; insert sliced garlic. Rub butter and thyme over pork and sprinkle with flour; pour reserved fruit juices and cider around pork and cover tightly with foil; bake 1 hour. Uncover pork and increase oven temperature to 425°; bake until browned, about 35 minutes more. Rest pork 15 minutes before slicing.
- Transfer pan juices to a 1-qt. saucepan; simmer until reduced by ¼, about 20 minutes. Slice pork and arrange on a serving platter; drizzle with sauce.
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