PORK LOIN STUFFED WITH APPLES

Pork Loin Stuffed with Apples image

Provided by Food Network

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into large dice
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
4 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced
1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 (6 pound) center cut pork loin (9 chops), trimmed, with bones cracked

Steps:

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Toss apples with sugar in a bowl. Increase heat in skillet to medium-high heat, add apples, and saute until they are golden, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer apples to a bowl. In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high, add 1/4 cup vinegar, and stir with a wooden spoon until vinegar evaporates, about 1 minute. Add sage and season with salt and pepper. Add mushroom-onion mixture and bacon to apples and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stand the loin with the bone side facing away from you and make a 3-inch slit, about 1 1/2 inches down the middle of each chop to make a pocket. Spoon about 1/4 cup apple mixture into each pocket. Season stuffed loin with salt and pepper, transfer to a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour. Pour remaining vinegar and 1/4 cup water into pan and scrape browned bits off bottom with a wooden spoon. Scatter remaining apple mixture around loin and continue roasting until the internal temperature of pork reaches 150 degrees (note, internal temperature will rise to 160 after resting), about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer pork to a platter, allow to rest for 15 minutes, then slice into chops and serve with apples.;