Roast Pork With Apricot And Shallot Stuffing Recipes

PORK RIB ROAST WITH CRANBERRY-APRICOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Warm the cognac and water in a small saucepan, add the cranberries and apricots, and set aside until plump, about 10 minutes. In a small food processor, pulse the fruit and any unabsorbed liquid with the almonds, shallot, butter, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, to taste, until the fruit and nuts are coarsely chopped.
• With a boning knife or other long, thin knife, make a cut 3 inches across in the center of one end of the roast. Gently push and work the blade in and straight through the roast to the other end. (If your knife isn¿t long enough, make a cut at either end and work your way to the center, making sure that the cuts meet.) Insert the narrow end of a wooden spoon into the opening to widen it a bit all the way through. Push the stuffing into the loin, working first from 1 end and then the other, filling to the center.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the loin dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast, holding the bones up so that the bottom gets well browned, then turn the roast to brown the meaty side, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the pork meat side down for 30 minutes. Turn the roast over so it sits on the bones and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 155 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Transfer the roast to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• Whisk the creme fraiche or sour cream with the mustard in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice roast between the bones to make individual chops, arrange them on a platter, and serve, passing the mustard sauce.
• Know-How: Roasting meat on the bone keeps meat moist and improves its flavor. Pan-searing before roasting is the way to get a great burnished crust on lean meats that would otherwise dry out if left to brown solely in the oven.

APRICOT PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Place roast in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine preserves and broth; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until tender. Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. , Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with pork.

APRICOT-STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the roast to within 1/2 in. of bottom. Open roast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. Remove wrap; sprinkle with cheese, apricots, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne., Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long end. Tie at 1-1/2- to 2-inch intervals with kitchen string; secure ends with toothpicks. Transfer to an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Brush tenderloin with butter. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

ROLLED PORK ROAST WITH PRUNE & APRICOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C (430F.).
• Remove the string from the pork roasting piece and lay rind side down on your chopping board. Place the chopped fruits in the centre of the pork and then re-roll and tie tightly with string. Tie at 2cm (1 inch) intervals. We took the chopped fruits to the butcher and had them do this for us.
• Dry the rind with some paper towel. Rub the rind with the oil and then sprinkle over the salt.
• Roast for 30 mins and then reduce the oven to 200C (390F). Bake for a further 1 hour 10 minutes. Test the pork is cooked with a skewer.
• Cover with foil and stand for 20 minutes before slicing.
• Serve with baked or steamed vegetables and apple sauce.

SLOW-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER WITH LEEKS, APRICOTS & THYME

Steps:

• A few hours before you want to cook the pork, remove it from the fridge and dry the skin thoroughly. Leave unwrapped in a cool place to slowly come to room temperature while you make the stuffing.
• Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. When it begins to sizzle, add the leeks and cook until they are soft and most of their liquid has evaporated. Stir in the apricots and thyme, season well and transfer to a bowl to cool. When the mixture is cold, stir in the breadcrumbs. Taste and season again if required.
• When you are ready to cook the pork, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Spoon the stuffing into the pocket your butcher has left for you. Wipe any stuffing from the skin, put the pork in a roasting tin and season the skin well with salt. Put the celery, onion and carrot in the tin around the pork, place in the oven and cook for 30 mins.
• Reduce heat to 140C/120C fan/ gas 1 and cook the pork for a further 2 hrs 30 mins. Transfer the pork to a warm serving dish to rest while you finish the gravy.
• Tip out any fat from the roasting tin and reserve for another dish. Put the roasting tin on a medium heat, add the white wine or cider and, using a wooden spatula, scrape the caramelised juices from the bottom of the pan and allow them to dissolve. Let the juices reduce by half.
• Add the stock and simmer for 5 mins. Add the flour and butter, mashed together, and whisk them into the gravy. Taste for seasoning, then strain into a warmed jug. If your pork skin has not crackled, put under a hot grill for a few mins, turning every 30 secs or so, until bubbled and crackling.

ROLLED PORK BELLY WITH HERBY APRICOT & HONEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a small frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 10 mins until golden. Trim off about 100g of the pork, from the meaty side - but if the butcher has left a chunk of meat on one side where the ribs have been removed, leave this on as it will help you roll it. Whizz the pork trimmings in a food processor, then tip into a bowl with the herbs, breadcrumbs, apricots, onion and 2 tbsp oil, season and mix well.
• Turn the pork belly skin-side up. Using a sharp knife or Stanley knife, score the skin at 1cm intervals and rub the sea salt all over. Turn the pork belly over and season a little more, then brush the honey over the flesh. Lay the stuffing down the centre, then bring the 2 ends together and roll tightly. Flip the pork over so the ends meet underneath. Tie the rolled pork with kitchen string to secure. Put the meat on a wire rack in a roasting tin and transfer to the fridge, uncovered for a few hrs or up to 24 hrs, so the skin has time to dry out and the meat takes on the flavours from the stuffing.
• Heat oven to 220C/180C fan/gas 6. Rub the pork with the remaining oil and a little more sea salt. Roast in the centre of the oven for 30 mins. Turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue cooking for 2 hrs. Finally, turn the oven back up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 to crisp up the skin for another 30 mins - don't worry if your pork looks dark on the outside, it will still be juicy and delicious in the middle. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave to rest for 45 mins before carving. If your skin does not turn crispy, pop the joint under a hot grill for a few mins, rolling it onto its side to get the sides nice and crispy too - just keep an eye on it as it will burn easily.

ROSEMARY-SCENTED PORK LOIN STUFFED WITH ROASTED GARLIC, DRIED APRICOTS AND CRANBERRIES AND PORT WINE PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add whole garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; reserve oil.
• Turn pork loin fat-side down. Slit lengthwise, almost but not quite all the way through, to form a long pocket, leaving a 1/2-inch border of unslit meat at each end. Brush cavity with some of the reserved garlic cooking oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and 1 Tb. of the rosemary. Line cavity with sauteed garlic and apricots; sprinkle in cranberries. Tie loin together with kitchen twine or heavy-duty string at 1 1/2-inch intervals.
• Brush with remaining oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Set roast, fat-side up, diagonally or curved (so it fits) on a large, lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Warm 1/4 cup apple jelly along with the minced garlic and remaining rosemary. Brush mixture onto meat.
• Roast until a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 125 to 130 degrees. (Start checking at about 1 1/2 hours.) Remove from oven; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush loin with pan drippings, return to oven, and continue to roast until the loin is golden brown and a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 20 minutes longer. For even more attractive coloring, broil until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Let roast rest 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a carving board. Stir juices around pan to loosen brown bits. Pour through a strainer into a small pan, and stir in port, chicken broth and remaining 2 Tbs. of jelly; bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water; whisk into sauce. Simmer until lightly thickened. Slice pork and serve with a little sauce.