Roast Pork Florentine With Pomegranate Sauce

Category: Main Dishes | Blog URL: http://mztasty.blogspot.com/2009/12/rolled-pork-tenderloin-with-pomegranate.html

This recipe was entered in The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, a compilation of the world’s best food blogs which was published in Fall 2010.

Photo: Melinda Tai

Ingredients

Note: this recipes serves about 6 people, so if serving fewer, simply use one pork tenderloin and reduce the stuffing ingredients by half.

For the Filling:

3 cups chopped spinach

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 cup red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon marjoram

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Pork:

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed, cut open flat, and pounded to 1/2-inch thickness

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kitchen strings

For the Sauce:

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Pomegranate arils, for garnish

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 425°F.

In a skillet, cook garlic in oil until tender, stir in spinach, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes till spinach is wilted and set aside. Place the cut meat flat on a piece of plastic wrap. Using a mallet, pound the pork to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap. Using a spatula, spread the filling evenly on the pork leaving a 1-inch border on all sides; sprinkle cheese on top.

Starting at the edge, roll up the roast tightly to completely enclosing the filling. Rub the pork with salt and pepper. Tie the roast at 2 inch intervals with kitchen strings.

Place the roast seam-side down on a baking rack (I've added a bed of kale drizzled with olive oil). Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 155°F.

Transfer pork to a clean cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.

For the sauce, combine the ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Scrape remaining juices from baking pan to pot. Reduce mixture to about 1 cup. Thicken sauce with cornstarch and water, whisking till slightly thickened.

Remove string and slice roast into 3/4 inch thick slices.

Serve with sauce and garnish with pomegranate arils (seeds).