Pineapple Glazed Pork Roast with Bacon Wild Rice Stuffing.
Yields: SERVES 6 |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach (thawed if frozen)
- 1 cup roasted pistachios
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 (2 1/2 pound) pork loin roast
- 1/2 cup grainy mustard
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 medium pineapple (about 5 cups), peeled, cored + diced
- 1 medium delicata squash, halved, deseeded + sliced into half moons
Instructions
Cook the wild rice according to package directions. I brought 4 cups water to a boil, added the rice and simmered, covered for 45 minutes until the rice was fluffy and the water absorbed.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat begins to render, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the bacon crisps, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach. Allow the spinach to wilt into the bacon mushroom mixture.
Once the rice is cooked, stir in the bacon mixture + all the drippings from the pan. Stir in the pistachios and then crumble in the feta. Season the rice with salt + pepper.
Place pork, fat side down, on work surface with 1 short end facing you. Using long thin sharp knife and starting 1/2 inch above underside of roast, cut 1/2 inch in along right side. Continue cutting 1/2 inch above underside, unrolling roast like carpet. I found this how-to really helpful.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Once your pork roast is in a flat piece, use a meat mallet to pound the pork so that most of the meat is in one even layer.
Spread about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the wild rice over the pork.
Roll up pork; arrange seam side down on work surface (fat side will be facing up). Using kitchen string, tie at 1- to 1 1/2-inch intervals. Transfer pork, fat side up, to roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Rub the pork all over with the mustard and then sprinkle on the brown sugar + cayenne. Add the pineapple.
Roast pork for 25 minutes at 425 degrees F. Add the squash rounds and reduce the oven temperature to 375. Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loin registers 140-160 degrees F. (it will be cooked medium but still slightly pink), about 35-50 minutes. Let the roast rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve the pork along side the remaining rice + roasted squash and pomegranate arils (if desired).
