Glazed Stuffed Pork Roll

Special-Ingredient Game/Foodify Challenge #2: Glazed Stuffed Pork Roll

Remember my fun foodie-bloggers’ event for the holiday season? Fast forward a few weeks and we’ve come up with yet another challenge!

This time it was the brilliant Krystina, the gal behind Kouzouna’s Kitchen, who came up with a twist to our special-ingredient game. Each participant had to pick 5 ingredients—anything we fancied—and choose 1 more from the Food Network’s 50-Secret-Ingredients list—a list compiled by chefs who claim these ingredients are their secret touch to make their dishes pop. To spare you the rest of the details, we had to make a recipe with only 6 total ingredients, sweet or savory, main or side, dip, finger-food, cocktail, or other drink. I chose balsamic vinegar from the list along with honey, apples, Greek “graviera” cheese, bacon, and pork loin to make a Glazed Stuffed Pork Roll.

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, butterflied/flattened pork loin*
6-8 slices of bacon
6-8 slices of graviera cheese (the Swiss gruyère could be used as a substitute even though it’s quite different, or any type of cheese you like that can be used for a casserole)
2 apples
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

*You can also pick up a pre-made pork roll from your butcher’s, stuffed with anything you like.

Directions:

1. Season the pork with salt & pepper (keep a light hand as the bacon and cheese are really salty).
2. Top with the slices of bacon and cheese, spreading them evenly, leaving an 1-inch margin around the perimeter.
3. Starting with the short side, roll up tightly and secure with kitchen twine.
4. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat (you don’t need to add any oil or butter) and brown the roll on all sides.
5. Place in a casserole pot that has a lid. Core and slice the apples, arrange slices around the roll.
6. Mix honey and vinegar well together and spread the glaze all over the meat.
7. Cover the casserole and bake at 82-93 ºF for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Remove the roll from the oven, take the lid off the casserole and allow the roll to rest for a full 10 minutes before slicing and serving, apples on the side.

Χοιρινό Ρολό με Μήλα στη Γάστρα για 2-4 άτομα
Προετοιμασία: 5 λεπτά – Ψήσιμο: 45-60 λεπτά

Υλικά:

1 χοιρινό ρολό έτοιμο από τον κρεοπώλη σας, με γέμιση της αρεσκείας σας (ενδεικτικά, το δικό μου είχε γραβιέρα & μπέικον)
2 μήλα
2 γεμάτες κουταλιές της σούπας μέλι
2 κουταλάκια του γλυκού ξύδι βαλσάμικο

Οδηγίες:

1. Ροδίζετε το ρολό απ’ όλες τις μεριές σε ένα αντικολλητικό τηγάνι χωρίς καμία λιπαρή ουσία.
2. Το μεταφέρετε σε μια γάστρα.
3. Κόβετε τα μήλα σε φέτες και τα μοιράζετε γύρω από το κρέας.
4. Αναμειγνύετε καλά το μέλι με το ξύδι και γλασάρετε πολύ καλά το ρολό σε ολόκληρη την επιφάνειά του.
5. Σκεπάζετε τη γάστρα και ψήνετε σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο στους 200 °C για μία ώρα.
6. Όταν το βγάλετε από τον φούρνο, ξεσκεπάζετε τη γάστρα και το αφήνετε «να σταθεί» για τουλάχιστον 10 λεπτά πριν το κόψετε.

Listed below, you will find the recipes from the rest of the bloggers participating in the event:

Special Ingredient Game: {the Food Network List}

• Nidhi Raghav from Platter Joy shared her Cream Paneer
• Krystina Kalapothakos from Kouzounas Kitchen shared her vegan Rice Pudding
• Gina Martino Zarcadoolas from Foodie WineLover shared her Lebanese Lentil Soup
• Natalia Alexander from The Greek Glutton shared her Rusk Salad Tomatoes, Olives & Feta 
• Angela Santareli from Constant Wining shared her Spaghetti with Tuna Sauce

*pork roll photo by © Marazem – Dreamstime.com
 ingredient photo by © Stickasa – Dreamstime.com