4 pound center cut pork loin roast(not tied) (note: if using a tied pork loin, you can skip the butterflying step and just stuff the loin before tying.)
FOR APPLE CHERRY STUFFING:
4 cupsstale Italian or Sourdough breadcrusts trimmed and cut into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces
2tablespoonsolive oil
1medium yellow oniondiced
1large stalk celerycut into 1/2" dice
1large applepeeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" dice
½cupdried cherriesroughly chopped
½teaspoon kosher salt
2teaspoonspork or poultry seasoningoptional
2teaspoonsfresh sage leaveschopped or 1 teaspoon dried sage
For stale bread, start a day or two before, removing the crusts and cutting the bread into small pieces. Transfer bread to a very large wide bowl or platter and let it sit out, uncovered overnight. If you have pets and are worried they’ll get into it, place the bowl in a cold oven overnight.
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, apple, dried cherries and kosher salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and slightly translucent. Add the sage and cook for an additional minute.
Transfer the apple mixture to the stale bread and toss to mix. Sprinkle on the seasoning if using.
Mix the melted butter with the chicken broth and pour about half of it evenly over the stuffing mixture. Toss to coat. The bread should be softened and moist but not soaking wet. Add additional broth mixture until you have achieved a moist but not wet consistency. Set aside. Note: You can make it up to this point up to two days before and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
FOR THE STUFFED PORK LOIN ROAST:
Preheat the oven to 500°.
Trim the fat and silver skin from the pork loin with a very sharp knife. Follow the video link in the post to see how it’s done. Then butterfly the roast by making a slice straight down, ½ to ¾” in from the long side of the pork loin. DO NOT CUT THROUGH THE ROAST. When you reach about 3/4” from the bottom, shift the knife so you’re cutting and flattening out the roast until it’s ½” to ¾” thick and is a large, even piece of meat.
Spread the cherry apple stuffing evenly over the roast and use two hands to carefully roll the roast back up. Secure the pork loin by tying it with 4-5 pieces of kitchen string, ever 2 inches or so.
Add the onions and the trimmed fat and silver skin to a roasting pan large enough to handle the roast. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and toss to coat. Spread the onions and fat into an even layer in the roasting pan and rest the pork roast on top, with the seam side down.
Place the roast in the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes or until a digital thermometer registers 135° when put into the center of the roast. Remove the roast from the oven and transfer to a cutting board, loosely tented with tin foil to rest for 10 minutes. While the pork loin rests, make the gravy.
FOR THE GRAVY:
Use a pair of tongs to remove the strips of fat and silver skin. (Note: you can leave the onions in the pan if you want them in your gravy, or discard). Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan. If there’s not quite two tablespoons of fat, add butter or olive oil to roughly equal 2 tablespoons.
Place the roasting pan over a burner on your stovetop and heat over medium high. Add the vinegar and stir, scraping up the fond and bits from the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle the flour over the fat and stir until all of the fat has mixed with the fat and is completely blended.
Add the chicken broth a little at a time, stirring or whisking constantly until blended. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring the entire time, until the gravy is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
You can strain the gravy through a mesh strainer for a smoother gravy, or if you like it with the the bits of fond (and onion) leave them in. Slice the pork loin into ½” to ¾” slices and serve with the gravy.