Monday, May 10, 2010

Feta- and jalapeno-stuffed, bacon-wrapped pork loin with scalloped potatoes


I know there's been a lot of pork around here lately, but it's what I have scheduled to give you today, so...here's some more pork. Lots of it, actually. As Homer Simpson would say, it is indeed a wonderful, magical animal.

You'll need a nice pork loin, some feta, some pickled, diced jalapenos, and some good bacon. Slice the loin almost completely through lengthwise, but leave the two halves just attached. Mix together until well combined about a third of a cup of feta cheese with about a quarter of a cup of jalapenos (adjust this to your spicy, adventurous tastes). Put this mixture into the pork loin groove, filling it from end to end. Then take the bacon--I end up using about six slices--and tightly wrap it around the loin. The final result looks unfortunately like a large, meaty caterpillar, but I promise, it's good.

We don't grill much because it's hot here, so we just do this one in the oven. I cover it with foil or a good lid and have it at about 425-450 F until the meat thermometer confirms it's at a temperature suitable for pork (about ~160-170 degrees internally)--maybe about an hour, depending on the heft of the loin. Once it's hit that temperature goal, I remove the foil or lid and let it crisp a bit because the bacon's better that way.

I served this up last time with scalloped potatoes that I baked at the same time. To make these, I sliced small, peeled Yukon golds into 1/8 inch slices and layered them in a buttered baking dish as follows: potatoes, salt, pepper, bit o' olive oil, grated cheese (your choice; I like gruyere when I have it) until I was out of potatoes. Then, I mixed in a separate bowl about a half cup to a cup of whole cream or half 'n' half with another half cup or so of the grated cheese and pour on top. Your amount will vary with how much you're making. My goal is to get the liquid at least halfway up the depth of the potatoes. Cover with foil or a good lid and bake until potatoes are tender. Remove foil or lid and let the cheese that's on top get a nice golden-brown color.

Slice the loin, spoon out the potatoes, make a good salad to go with it...and you're done. The feta with the jalapenos, bacon, and tender loin is simply a taste sensation.

6 comments:

  1. So what you're saying is that I should NOT serve this at Em's bat mitzvah? ;-)

    (It sounds yummy. Unfortunately, the only part of it anyone in my family other than me would eat is the bacon, so it's not likely I'll get to try it...unless you wanna invite me over, that is!)

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  2. TC, it's weird, but your comment showed up in my email and this says there's a comment...but you're not here! It's a ghost comment!

    I keep thinking that I should try to post more Jewish-friendly or casein-free/gluten-free-friendly (how's that for a hyphenate?) recipes here. It seems like everything I post has bacon or whole cream in it...or both...which just tells ya how I eat most days. Yikes.

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  3. Hmmmm. I see my comment.

    We're not Kosher, actually...not even a little bit. And you should post as you eat. I was just joking with you!

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  4. Oh! There it is. That was really weird.

    I figured out y'all weren't kosher! Maybe it was your bacon reference...you know, bacon is the gateway pork. ;-)

    But I have noticed that almost everything I post here is bacon and heavy cream. I don't even want to know what my cholesterol is. 'Cause I really do eat all this stuff.

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  5. Oh yum! I can't wait to give this a try -- it combines some of my favorite flavors!

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  6. Do they have mild jalapenos???

    When I was in Oregon a few years ago and we were having a farewell dinner they had jalapenos stuffed with cheese (I think cream cheese) and coated them with flour and egg. I must have eaten 6 of them and they were not all that spicy. I WANT ONE NOW! (G)

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