Crispy peppered bacon and a colorful squash and apple filling make this dish especially impressive.
Bacon-Wrapped Squash and Apple-Stuffed Pork
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups ½-inch-diced delicata squash (about 1 large)
- 1 cup ½-inch-diced Honeycrisp apple (about 1 medium)
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1 (3-to 3½-pound) pork loin, trimmed
- 1 (16-ounce) package thick-cut peppered bacon
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Garnish: fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, stir together squash, apple, onion, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; spread in a single layer.
- Bake until squash is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Remove mixture from skillet, and let cool completely. Wipe skillet clean. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
- Place pork loin lengthwise on a cutting board, one short end closest to you. Holding your knife parallel to bottom of loin, make a lengthwise cut along bottom-third of one long side (image A). Open meat at incision as if you were opening a book (image B).
- Again, holding your knife parallel to the cutting board with blade facing thicker side of loin, make another lengthwise cut along thicker side of loin, cutting to within ½ inch of other side. Again, open meat at incision as if you were opening a book (image C).
- Using flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, flatten any thicker portions of meat until you have an even thickness throughout. Do not flatten meat any thinner than ½ inch.
- On a large piece of parchment paper, arrange bacon slices into strips, slightly overlapping. Place loin, cut side up, in center of bacon slices. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper onto pork. Spread squash mixture to within ½ inch of edges of loin.
- Starting at one long side, roll up bacon, loin, and filling into a log (image D). Using kitchen twine, tie loin closed at 2-inch intervals (image E). Carefully transfer loin, seam side down, to same skillet; arrange rosemary sprigs around pork in skillet.
- Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 165°, about 1 hour. Increase oven temperature to broil. Broil until bacon is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove loin from skillet, and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place skillet with drippings over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and vinegar until smooth. Cook, whisking frequently, until sauce thickens, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with pork loin. Garnish with rosemary, if desired.
Notes
Kitchen Tip: The squash filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Peel the squash and apple if desired, but it’s not necessary.
