When I come up with a dish that is so easy to do and so memorable at the same time, I feel inspired to try different variations. It’s like testing the limits, if that makes sense to you. I want to find out how versatile a dish is, how much substitution, addition and omission it can handle and, most importantly, I want to make sure that the first time was not a fluke. So, following the same basic recipe for the rolled porkloin with bacon, basil and rosemary, I did another rolled porkloin dish but, this time, the stuffing was more basic — chopped garlic, onion and tomatoes. The seasonings were just as basic — salt and pepper. Because basil tastes so good with tomatoes and garlic, I added some basil too.
Rolled pork loin stuffed with garlic, onion, basil and tomatoes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 500 to 600 grams slab of pork loin with a thin layer of fat on one side
- 1/2 head garlic
- 1 large white onion
- 2 plump and juicy tomatoes unripe green tomatoes won’t work
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
- salt
- pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
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Cut the pork so that you have a large piece that is uniformly about a quarter of an inch thick. It’s not that hard so long as you have a very sharp knife. With your palm pressing the pork, cut horizontally from one end of the pork to the other but without going all the way through. If the pork is rather thick, cut in such a way that the top slice is 1/4-inch thick. Then, turn the pork over and cut through the thicker portion in like manner. Repeat until the entire slab of meat is of uniform thickness.
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Lay the meat flat and season with salt and pepper.
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Peel the garlic and onion and chop coarsely. Chop the tomatoes as well. Don’t be tempted to chop them very finely. You don’t want them expelling their liquid before they get into the oven. Spread the chopped vegetables on the entire surface of the pork. Sprinkle the basil on top. Roll up the pork as tightly as you can so that the fatty side is on top while the edge is tucked underneath.
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Brush a shallow baking pan with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Lay the rolled pork on the pan, fat side up. Sprinkle salt lightly over the pork. Sprinkle liberally with freshly ground pepper. Pour the remaining olive oil over the pork. Roast in a 180oC oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a chopping board. Let rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into half-inch slices.
Ang sarap naman! Nakakagising after slaving over theses work. Do you have a sauce to go with it?
Gay
hi,
i just want to know if pork loin is lomo in tagalog?
Gay, none. None needed. :)
Michelle, lomo is pork tenderloin.
Connie, you think adding come cheese would make the filling tastier?
momof4, what a great idea! i suggest dry cheese though like mature cheddar. :)
Yum…this is my kind of food! :)
Ummm, yummy yummy yummy. Talagang ang gleng gleng mo Connie. Yeah I will sure make this and make variations, i.e. with raisins, cheese (like momof4 said), chopped spinach, pineapple, ay naku basta! I might even add thin slice of chicken, parang Cordon Blue, heheh binaligtad, primary roll na pork ang nasa outside, manok yung nasa loob. Great, great cook ka talaga.
Still carnivorous, eh, Bayi? When people ask me if I ever think of going vegan, I have a ready answer now: When Bayi does, maybe, I will too. hehehe
Wow, Ebba, ang dami mo agad naisip na variations. Next time nga, whole slices of smoked ham ang mailagay. :)
looks yummy! i bet sun-dried tomatoes will also work well with this.
It might be tastier, Redge, but I think that the pork benefits from the tomato juices.
just finished preparing this and it’s amazing!!! juicy and tasty. since i ran out of basil, i used my pesto sauce that’s been sitting in the fridge for quite some time. turned out great!