Cranberry & Pistachio Stuffed Pork

This impressive Christmas main will become one of your favourite stuffing recipes to date. Not only does it boast the delightful crisp of a good ol' roast, the glorious pork loin also packs rich flavours from salami, pistachios and dried cranberries, complete with a side of roasted vegetables for a colourful and nourishing spread.

Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 105 mins
Difficulty Level: 4/5

Ingredients

• 2 kg boneless loin of pork, rind on
• 40 g butter
• 2 tbsps fine table salt
• ½ cup (125 ml) port
• ¼ cup (80 g) cranberry sauce
• 1½ cup (375 ml) chicken stock

STUFFING

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion (170 g), chopped finely
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 150 g mild salami, chopped finely
• ¼ cup (35 g) unsalted roasted pistachios
• ¼ cup (35 g) dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup (50 g) stale breadcrumbs

ROASTED VEGETABLES

• 500 g Jap pumpkin, cut into wedges
• 4 small parsnips (480 g), halved lengthways
• 3 small red onions (360 g), quartered
• 500 g baby (dutch) carrots, trimmed
• 12 baby new potatoes (480 g), halved
• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 2 tbsps fresh thyme leaves

Steps

01. Preheat oven to 200 C.

02. Using a sharp knife, score pork skin by making shallow cuts at 1 cm intervals. Place pork on a board, fat-side down; slice through the thickest part of the pork horizontally, without cutting through the other side. Open pork out to form one large piece.

03. Trim pork; reserve 150 g of the trimmings for seasoning. Blend or process pork trimmings with half the butter; place in a large bowl.

04. Heat oil in a medium frying pan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, over heat until onion softens. Add remaining butter, then salami, nuts, cranberries and sage; cook for 2 mins. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; cool. Stir in breadcrumbs and minced trimmings.

05. Press seasoning mixture along one long side of the pork; roll pork to enclose filling, secure with kitchen string at 2cm intervals. Rub pork skin with salt; place on a wire rack in a large shallow baking dish. Roast pork, uncovered, for 1¼ hrs or until pork is cooked through.

06. Meanwhile, make roasted vegetables: Combine vegetables in a large baking dish with oil and thyme. Roast, uncovered, for last 30 mins of pork cooking time, turning once. Season.

07. Remove pork from dish; rest, covered loosely with foil, for 15 mins. Drain excess fat from dish, add stock, port and sauce to dish; stir over heat until sauce is reduced by half. Season to taste; cover to keep warm.

08. Serve sliced pork with cranberry sauce and roasted vegetables.

TIP

Ask your butcher to leave a flap measuring about 20 cm in length to help make rolling the loin easier. The secret to exceptional crackling is to ensure the pork skin is dry and well-seasoned with fine salt before cooking. Pat the pork dry with paper towel; refrigerate, uncovered, for a few hours or overnight to allow the skin to dry out.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au