26: Blueberry & Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin / Turnip Mash / Red Cabbage

I’ve been shying away from making stuffed pork tenderloin because, well, it requires some work. I felt some motivation to tackle the task this past Friday. I’m glad I did it because this dish is a winner all around. Blueberries and mushrooms were made to go together, and I also add some swiss chard to the stuffing mixture. A delectable sage butter sauce really makes the pork pop on the palette. Side note: I’m really impressed that my sage has lasted through the winter weather. Ok, back to my notes on this dish. The red cabbage didn’t really add much, so feel free to leave that off. I blanched the leaves in case you decide to make it. I think I used it more for color on the plate. I’ve been getting bored with the white background of a plate. The meal is made complete with a turnip mash, prepared much like mashed potatoes, except healthier.

Head to a butcher shop to get your pork tenderloin if you can, or buy one at the store if they have a whole pork tenderloin. You could also buy thick pork chops and slice a pocket in them to stuff. I used the whole pork tenderloin because it makes for a pretty presentation.

Ingredients and Directions:

For the pork-

2 lb pork tenderloin

Olive oil

2 leaves of swiss chard, roughly chopped, stems discarded

1 cup baby bellas, sliced

Half a medium onion, finely chopped

Veal stock (can use chicken stock if you prefer)

1 cup blueberries, chopped

2 tbs butter

8 sage leaves, roughly chopped

Salt & pepper

Butcher’s twine

For turnip mash-

1 lb of turnips, peeled and chopped in near equal sized pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs butter

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a sauce pan, heat some oil over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms (save about ¼ cup of them for the sauce later) and sauté for a few minutes. Add the swiss chard, ¼ cup veal stock, and blueberries (again, saving some for the sauce later) to the pan. Turn up the heat and reduce mixture until all the stock has burned off or been absorbed, about 8-10minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Time to prep the meat. In the trimming process, you will lose some pork, but it’s a good thing because you’re trimming the fat off. Start by slicing 1/3 of the tenderloin open (but not off), and then slice another third from the larger part. Now pound the meat flat. I don’t have a meat mallet, so I covered the pork with plastic wrap and used the side of a hammer. Evenly spread the stuffing mixture when the reduction is done. Don’t wash the pan because you’ll use it to make the sauce later. Have your butcher’s twine ready. Roll up the tenderloin now, and tie the twine around it in four places. Add to a covered pan with ½ cup of stock to baste the pork occasionally while it’s cooking. Roast for one hour.

Boil the turnips until tender, 30-40 minutes. Drain the water when it’s done, and start breaking down the turnips with a fork. Add the butter, garlic, and some salt and pepper now. I used a hand blender to mash them, and you could also do it in a food processor. Mash to desired consistency and keep warm.

When the meat is done, remove it from the pan, and place it on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. Strain the fat out of the stock in the pan, and pour stock into the same pan you made the stuffing mixture in. Over medium heat, cook the stock with the remaining mushrooms and blueberries. Add butter and sage to this mixture and reduce it by half.

Blanch red cabbage leaves while you wait for the sauce to reduce and the meat to rest. Remove twine from the tenderloin, slice the pork, and assemble your dish on the place. Ladle the sauce over the pork slices.

Enjoy!