Fruit stuffed pork roast

This apple and prune stuffed roast is a great way of starting the New Year.

Ingredients:

2kgs boneless pork loin
1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 cup pitted prunes
2/3 cup of water
3 tbsp margarine or butter
1 small yellow or red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 – 11/2  bread crumbs
1 large apple, cut into small cubes
½ cup apple juice

Method:

1      Preheat the oven to 180oC. Place the roast rib on a clean board and make a deep cut as if for a sandwich. Spread it wide open and season with the salt and pepper.

2      To prepare the stuffing, in a small saucepan, combine the prunes and the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer while covered until the prunes are tender. Then drain the coarsely chopped prunes and set them aside.

3      In the same saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook for three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar, lemon rind, cinnamon, and cardamon.

4      Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Stir in the onion mixture, prunes, and apple. Drizzle with the apple juice, tossing lightly until moistened. Spoon enough of the stuffing onto centre of the pork loin and spread well. Roll into a big sausage and dress tightly with a butchers string. Season the top again with salt and pepper.

5      Finally, place the roast rib in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until cooked and there is no trace of foam like juice oozing from the inside. Let the roast stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Kitchen tips:

If you own a knife, don’t use a garlic press. Peeling and pressing garlic is a huge waste of time. Instead, set the garlic on a cutting board and smash it with the flat side of a big knife.

Overcooked vegetables are mushy and flavourless. Overcooked meat on the other hand is tough and chalky, while overcooked grains are soggy and fall apart. Learn to take the food off the heat just before it is done, and let it finish cooking with its internal temperature.

Refrigerators dull the taste of most produce, so if you buy something that doesn’t need to go in there, leave it out. Most fruits including apples, oranges, pears and bananas don’t belong in the refrigerator unless you’re not planning on eating them soon. Don’t refrigerate tomatoes, avocados or peppers either. Very hot climates are an exception, however.

Kitchen safety tips:

To remove stains off your refrigerator, soak refrigerator removable parts in the sink with warm, soapy water.
Keep items that can easily injure children on higher shelves. Place juice boxes, apple slices and cheese sticks on the lower shelves within your child’s reach for when they want a healthy snack.

Published on January 2013