Recipe: Apricot Stuffed Pork Roulade

Pork, in every form, is indigestible and should never be eaten by persons of weak digestion, by young children, nor by the old and feeble. – The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book 1901

If anyone thinks this is indigestible they're crazy.

Oh, really???? I beg to disagree with that intro quote.

Not much to say about today’s post, running a bit late for some reason. 

The pork roast has to be cut open like a triptych (or a 3-panel brochure).

At least we have finished the process of listing our house. It should appear on MLS either today or tomorrow. So *in theory* I should be able to spend a little more time on interesting topics for you to read about.

I’m not saying this one's not interesting, just that I don’t have a lot of background on it. This post is actually a good one and am surprised I haven't posted it sooner. It’s delicious.

In lieu of butcher's string I resorted to turkey skewers, only
because my string is packed away...

I have been making this rolled roast for more years than I care to remember – and it always is a hit. The onion, sage and apricots complement the pork perfectly. It’s also a pretty easy recipe to make that’s also short on ingredients.

If you couple all that with the ability to roast vegetables with the pork you’ve pretty much got a meal you stick in the oven and forget for an hour.

This recipe is perfect for a busy weekend meal, or even for company when you would prefer to spend your time with them rather than in the kitchen.

I think it came from a magazine originally but I’ve changed it up so much that I can confidently call it mine. 

I have also made this in the winter using dried cranberries instead of apricots. That’s amazing too. You could even use a blend of dried fruits. Figs, pears, apples... (Apples and/or pears with sage would be great.)

To serve more people get a long roast. It’s not the circumference of the roulade but the length that will determine how many slices you get, and therefore how many people you can serve. Usually 2 slice per person will do.

Brown the roast an all sides.

Apricot Stuffed Pork Roulade

Prep: 20 min  |  Roast: 45 min to 1 hour  |  Serves 4

2 lb boneless pork roast

1/3 cup butter (or more)

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

2 cups stale bread, diced

salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 385°F.

Prepare the pork roast by slicing it into three equally thick pieces – but ensure you leave them attached. It’s like you’re making a long piece of meat out a round piece. Equal thickness will help in cooking evenly once it’s stiffed.

To do so you will cut down through the roast’s side 1/3 of its thickness. Lat it flat and then from the inside cut again and lay it out flat, cut side up. You will have a piece of meat that is three times the surface area of the original roast.

Watch the temperature so you don't dry out the roast.

See the second photo on this post for what it should look like flattened. Season the surface with salt and pepper.

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in an oven-proof frying pan and sauté the onions, garlic and apricots until the onions soften. Then add the bread and sage. Remove from the heat, add salt and pepper and mix. 

The stuffing should be quite buttery. If your bread seems too dry feel free to add a little more butter.

Pile the stuffing onto the surface of the prepared roast. Roll up, like a jellyroll and tie together with butcher string.

I am moving so my string has been packed away. Luckily I found some turkey skewers in the cutlery drawer. You don’t have to use string, just anything that can go into the oven and will hold the meat into a roll shape.

Heat the remaining butter in the frying pan. Season the roast on the outside and brown in the hot butter on top of the stove. Once browned, place the pan with the roast in the oven.

Bake at 385°F for 45 min to 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reads 160°F.  Make sure you’re reading the meat and not the stuffing or you may have quite a dry piece of meat…

Serve drizzled with any pan juice that has collected during roasting.

By the way, if you put vegetables in the oven while it is warming up they will be roasted by the time the pork is finished.

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