Mushroom & Kale Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Once again, I'm trying something new with my recipes.  It just seemed like it was time to tie something up and stuff it.  Now, usually this is something we do for special occasions with a leg of lamb of a nice piece of meat, but there's no reason why you can't do it with a piece of pork too.  This recipe was honestly super easy to make and absolutely delicious.  What pushed it over the top was that our tenderloin from Trader Joe's was already seasoned and marinated in garlic.  It's totally not necessary for this recipe though, we just took it easy on the salt & pepper when we made it so it wasn't overly salty.

Now, I'll tell you, it's not the most beautiful meal, but it's absolutely delicious.  I've noticed that good food isn't always pretty.  In fact, some of the best food is just plain ugly & messy.  So don't worry if you make food and it's not pretty.  I may not post this meal on instagram, but I'm definitely going to share it because I'm not going to keep something this delicious from you all.  :)

The vegetables and goat cheese in this recipe keep the pork moist and give a great depth to the dish.  You also get a little crunch on the outside from the sear on the pork, which is just the texture this dish needs.  I paired mine with some roasted mini potatoes and brussels sprouts for a complete meal.

Total Time: 40-50 minutes

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 Pork Tenderloin (about 2 pounds)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup dinosaur kale, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4-6 oz goat cheese, room temperature

Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425° F
2. Slice your tenderloin down the middle without cutting all the way through.  Lay flat and pound out until about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Salt & Pepper both sides of the tenderloin.
4. Spread your goat cheese across the tenderloin, ensuring you coat it evenly.  Add your chopped mushrooms and kale.
5. Fold & tie your tenderloin - I like to start with one tie in the middle and then work my way out, alternating sides to make sure I get it tied evenly.
6. Sear the sides of your tenderloin in a pan to get color before adding to the oven.
7. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork reads 145-160°.
8. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Here's a visual to show you how much of the stuffing I used.  Some of it will fall out as you're tying and cooking it, but that's okay!  Just slip it back in or on top if you can.  The best part of this recipe is that things stay super juicy on the inside, but get a little crunchy on the top and outside, so any veg that you can place on top of the tenderloin will still turn out great!

All tied up.  See those bits on the top that are peeking out?  Those will become the super tasty, crispy bits.

Out of the oven and allowing to rest.  As you can see, we got some great color on the outside of the pork that just continued to crisp and deepen in the oven.  This is key - you can't just put a raw piece of pork in the oven and expect it to taste good.  You need that browning on the outside to give it color and flavor.

Again, not the most beautiful dish, but dang tasty.  The only thing that would make this dish better is a poached egg sitting on top of those brussels and potatoes.  Whenever I don't have a sauce to bring a dish together, I love to poach an egg and throw it on top.  It's a great way to add a creamy richness that brings different ingredients together.  

Now I know what I'll do next time!  This dish is definitely one we'll be revisiting.