Stuffed pork loin

Prunes and pork are a great combination. This recipe is a bacon-wrapped pork loin that is stuffed with prunes, and the cooking makes a nice sauce.

General preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time - sauce base: 45 minutes (before cooking the meat)
Cooking time - meat: 45 minutes
Makes 5 servings.

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce:
150 gram (1/3 lb) pitted prunes
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
125 ml (1/2 cup) of your favorite unsalted broth (beef, chicken, ...)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick of cinnamon
3 cloves

For the pork:
750 grams (1.5+ lbs) pork loin filet (F: filet mignon de porc)
this can be one (very) large loin, or two smaller ones
200-250 grams (½ lb) of thinly sliced bacon - enough to completely wrap the pork (about 14-15 slices)!
The "smoked" variety will add some more flavor
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
In a pinch, you can use sour cream
2 tablespoons dark rum
My all-time favorite dark rum for mixed drinks, cooking and deserts is Meyers's Original Dark Rum from Jamaica
Fresh ground pepper
Butter
No salt - the bacon and broth adds more than enough salt by itself!

Prunes & bacon

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

Wooden toothpicks
Kitchen twine (butcher's string)
Large sauce pan
Large frying pan with lid
I use a clear glass lid, so I can see what is happening in the pan
Aluminium kitchen foil
Wire whisk (for stirring the sauce)
Gravy boat (F: saucière), for serving

PREPARATION / DIRECTIONS

Put the prunes, wine, broth, 1 of the 2 tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in the sauce pan
Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and let sit for an hour
Remove the prunes, and keep the liquid for the sauce
Remove the fat, tendons, and membranes from the pork
Rinse the pork and dry off with paper towels
"Butterfly" the pork loin: slice the pork open length-wise. Be careful: do not cut all the way through!
Rub the inside of the loin with the fresh ground pepper
Line the inside of the loin with the prunes - see first photo below
if any prunes are left over: cut them into small pieces and add them back to the broth
Fold the meat over the prunes, and hold together with toothpicks
Wrap the stuffed loin with bacon slices and tie with string
In the large frying pan, brown the wrapped pork "mummy" on all sides in some butter
Add the sauce base (wine, broth, etc.)
Pre-heat the oven to 80 °C (175 °F)
Put the lid on the frying pan, and let simmer slowly for 25 minutes; turn over once or twice.
Remove the pork, wrap in aluminium foil, and keep warm in the oven (I put the wrapped loin(s) on a cookie sheet)
Add the crème fraîche to the juices in the frying pan and thoroughly mix with a whisk (
Bring to a boil and add the rum
Season with pepper
Boil the sauce down to desired thickness, and transfer to the gravy boat for serving
Note: the sauce will become very salty when it becomes thick!
Take the meat out of the oven and remove the string; bring to the table on a serving tray heated in the oven, in one piece or sliced into thick medallions

The pork loin - butterfly-cut and stuffed with soaked prunes

The stuffed loin - folded closed and held together with toothpicks

Wrapped with bacon

Toothpicks removed

Tied with cotton kitchen twine

Browned on all sides in the frying pan

SERVING & GARNISH SUGGESTIONS

No obligation to eat the bacon.
I serve this with garlic mashed potatoes or home-fries, and steamed green beans with lemon butter and toasted slivered almonds
Note: you can also try this recipe with a mix of prunes, figs, and dried apricots.