PORK LOIN STUFFED WITH FIGS AND APRICOTS

Pork Loin Stuffed with Figs and Apricots image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Time 1h10m

Number Of Ingredients 8

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1/2 cup stemmed and finely chopped dried Calimyrna figs
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 or 2 white sandwich bread, toasted and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (to equal 1 cup breadcrumbs)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 boneless center-cut pork loin, (2 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine figs and apricots in a medium bowl; pour boiling water over them. Set aside for 5 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve; return to bowl. Add garlic, 1/4 teaspoon sage, and breadcrumbs; season generously with salt and pepper. Stir until breadcrumbs are moistened.
With a long, sharp knife, cut a slit lengthwise down the middle of the loin, without cutting through; open it like a book. Place filling in the middle, packing lightly. Draw the edges of the loin together so that they slightly overlap, forming a cylinder around stuffing. (If it is hard to close, remove some of stuffing.) Tie pork with cotton kitchen twine every 1/2 inch.
Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan with foil. Sprinkle pork with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sage; season generously with salt and pepper. Rub with oil; place in pan. Roast until meat registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 minutes; let rest (temperature will keep rising), 10 minutes. Snip string; discard. Slice meat; use a wide spatula to serve.