Stuffed Pork Loin

I first made this stuffed pork loin in 2012 near Thanksgiving. I wanted to tie it into the holiday, so I decided to use a bread stuffing for the filling. The smoked provolone cheese adds a delicious flavor to the recipe.

This recipe quickly became a staple at family gatherings, including the main course at our wedding reception. The photo on our main page of the twelve grills was taken on our wedding day when we where preparing to grill the loins. This is also a fun recipe to get friends involved in the grilling process.

Ingredients

    Stuffing

• 1 Cup Chopped Celery
• 1 Cup Chopped Onion (half medium onion)
• 1 Stick Butter (salted)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chicken Base Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Sage
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Dried Parsley Flakes
• 1 1/2 - 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Pound Ground Sausage 
• 8 Cups Dried Bread (cubed)

   Pork Loin

• 5-7 Pound Pork Loin Roast
• 15 slices Of Smoked Provolone Cheese
• Meat String 
• Greek Seasoning (or favorite seasoning)

Directions (Stuffing)

Brown sausage in a 5 quart or larger pan. Once browned, strain excess fat and set aside. 

Chop celery and onion. Add butter, celery and onion to the same pan that the sausage was cooked in. 

Cook until celery and onions are softened (10-15 minutes). Once celery and onion are soft, add seasonings for stuffing and stir until well mixed. 

Add cubed bread and stir/toss until bread is coated. 

Add sausage and stir/toss until combined. 

Begin to add broth. Start by adding one cup. Stir it in and let cook over low heat while stirring occasionally. After approximately 5 minutes, add additional broth. Repeat until cubed bread softens and mixture is moist and sticky. 

Let stuffing cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if you are not going to stuff the loin right away. 

Pork Loin Directions

The first step is to cut your pork loin so that you can add the cheese and stuffing and roll up. Click this link to see how to cut the pork loin. Cutting the loin.  

Before beginning to stuff the loin, it is best to have your string cut and ready. You will need at least 5 pieces. You can set them aside until needed. 

Begin by adding a row of cheese to the upper most portion of the loin, followed by a layer of stuffing on top of the cheese. You will want to press the stuffing so it packs together. Make the first roll. 

Repeat the last step for this layer. 

On the last layer, place the cheese and stuffing. Before finishing the roll up, slide the pieces of string under the loin so you are ready to tie the loin up. 

Finish the roll and tie the loin. You may want someone's help for tying, as the loin may try to unroll while tying. 

Cut excess string. 

Move to sheet pan and season with Greek seasoning. Place in fridge and let sit for at least 2 hours. If making the day ahead, you will want to cover it with plastic wrap. 

About an hour before you are ready to cook, remove the loin from the fridge to let rest and begin to prep the grill.

You will want to set up your kettle grill for indirect cooking (coals on both sides). I also put a drip pan in the middle to catch anything that falls. In the drip pan I add a couple beers for moisture during cooking. Once you have it set up and you are about 30 minutes from wanting to start cooking, light your charcoal. I use a chimney starter. 

Once the charcoal is ready (top charcoal are becoming white), dump half of the charcoal on each side. I begin by adding a few pieces of charcoal to each side, alternating sides. I think that this helps having equally hot coals on both sides. Return grate and allow to heat up while you get the loin. 

I use a remote thermometer to keep track of temperature. If you have one, place the thermometer in the thickest part of the loin. 

Place the loin on the grill. 

Place grill cover on and set the vent about half open. I try to keep the grill temp between 275 and 350 degrees. Grill for 90 to 120 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 138 to 142 degrees. 

Once the temperature is reached, remove from grill. Cover with foil and let rest 20 - 30 minutes. The internal temperature will increase while resting and should reach at least 145 degrees. 

Slice with sharp knife and serve while hot. Left overs freeze well. I slice the left over loin before I freeze it. 

Ingredients

    Stuffing

• 1 Cup Chopped Celery
• 1 Cup Chopped Onion (half medium onion)
• 1 Stick Butter (salted)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chicken Base Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Sage
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Dried Parsley Flakes
• 1 1/2 - 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Pound Ground Sausage 
• 8 Cups Dried Bread (cubed)

   Pork Loin

• 5-7 Pound Pork Loin Roast
• 15 slices Of Smoked Provolone Cheese
• Meat String 
• Greek Seasoning (or favorite seasoning)

Directions (Stuffing)

1. Brown Sausage, strain and set aside. 
2. Add butter to pan
3. Add celery and onion and cook until soft.
4. Add seasonings and stir. 
5. Add bread and stir. 
6. Add sausage and stir. 
7. Start to add broth by adding one cup. 
8. Add additional broth until mixture becomes moist and sticky. 
9. Let cool, refrigerate if not using right away. 

Directions (Pork Loin)

1. Cut pork loin. Click link to see how Cutting the loin.
2. Start stuffing the pork loin by layering cheese on the upper most portion. 
3. Add a layer of stuffing. 
4. Roll once. 
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 4. 
7. Tie with meat string. 
8. Move to sheet pan and season. 
9. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours. 
10. Prepare kettle grill for indirect heat.
11. 1 hour before cooking, remove the loin from fridge. 
12. 30 minutes before cooking, light the grill. 
13. Place the pork loin on the grill. 
14. Grill for 90 - 120 minutes or until internal temp reaches 138-142 degrees. 
15. Remove, cover with foil and let rest 20-30 minutes.
16. Slice and serve.