Fig and Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Maple Butter

As I dropped my daughter off at work the other day, my mind was racing as to what I would make for dinner.  I drove by a coffee shop and decided to have a cappuccino.  It was in the coffee shop that I noticed a free publication called, “SNAP Halifax“.  I always like this type of paper as it’s usually filled with local happenings which is a good thing especially since I’m new to the HRM area. I surfed the paper until I came to the dining out section and found my answer to what I would serve for dinner.   Pork is a rich source of proteins and fats.  The most common cuts of pork have 16 percent less total fat and 27 percent less saturated fat than they did nearly twenty years ago. In fact, pork tenderloin is now as lean as skinless chicken breast. If you like this dish, then you might also like Grilled Pear and Cheddar Stuffed Pork Tenderloins, Mojo Pork Tenderloin.

Serves 4-6
recipe from Mark DeWolf, owner of By The Glass
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2 Nova Scotia pork tenderloins, trimmed
2 fresh figs, thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 225c (450f).  In a bowl combine butter and maple syrup.   Place maple butter in fridge to set until ready to use.  Slice pork in half lengthwise being sure not to cut all the way through.  Lay pork flat on cutting board and cover with plastic wrap.  Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, pound pork until flat.  In a bowl combine blue cheese and walnuts.  Season pork inside and out with salt and pepper.  Place fig slices along pork and top with blue cheese mixture.  Fold over pork tenderloin, and wrap tenderloins with twine, in 1 to 2 inch intervals.

Using a sauté pan over medium-high heat, sear pork on all sides.  Place pork in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes.  When pork is cooked, remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.  Slice pork into thin slices and top with a dab of maple butter.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  There’s a reason why I take a shopping list with me!  When I got home I realized that the blue cheese I thought I had in the fridge was actually brie and feta while the walnuts I thought I had in my pantry were macadamia nuts.  I didn’t fancy taking another trip back to the grocery store and made do with what I had on hand.  When you have finished sautéing the pork, make sure the cut side is facing up so the cheese and juice from the pork seep into the meat and not into the pan.  I used 3 figs and they were ultra sweet mixed in with the feta.  I toasted the macadamia nuts before adding to the feta mixture.  Before placing the maple butter in the fridge, use a piece of plastic wrap and shape the maple butter into a cylinder so when you remove it from the fridge you can easily slice a piece of butter and add it to the top of the meat (lovely flavors of maple and butter melting down the pork). The meat was oh so tender and the juices from the figs and cheese mixture was heavenly.  Sommelier, Mark DeWolf, recommends 2005 Capitoso Rioja Joven or Angove’s Nine Vines Shiraz Viogner with this dish.   Delish!