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An elegant, but fast, recipe for pork tenderloin with a mushroom stuffing, by Trevy Thomas.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. Photo: T. Thomas
Pork tenderloins are a good choice for a weeknight meal because they cook in a flash, and readily absorb flavors, making them a blank canvass for whatever you happen to have in the refrigerator.  That’s how this stuffing was invented.  I just used a handful of many ingredients I keep around, squeezed the filling into the middle of the roast, seasoned the outside and baked for about 30 minutes.  The photos are pre-cooked.  My husband wouldn’t wait for me to take an after-cooked photo before he dug in.  Fast, good, easy, and elegant enough for a special occasion.

Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Stuffing:

• 1 cup baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 handful parsley, chopped
• Salt & pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon grated pecorino cheese (or other gratable cheese)

• 1-2 pound pork tenderloin
• Kitchen twine
• Small amount of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• (optional) Squash (or zucchini) & Onion, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Mix the stuffing ingredients together in a medium bowl.  
2. Rinse and pat the pork to dry.  Set it on a cutting board, and slice from one end to the other, but not all the way through, just enough so that both sides open up like a book (butterflied).  
3. Spoon the stuffing down the center of the pork, and close both sides together.
4. Cut the twine into three or four pieces, long enough to tie around a section of the roast.  Tie a piece of twine near each end, then one or two in the middle as needed to keep secure.  
5. Transfer to a baking dish that’s been rubbed with a little olive oil.  Season the outside of the pork all around with paprika and thyme.  
6. If serving with vegetables, add them to the pan around the meat.
7. Roast for 25 minutes per pound.

 Want more pork?  Try Slow Cooked Pork with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pork Chops with Apple Cumin Glaze, or Spicy Boneless Pork.