A Christmas main dish that will wow everyone at the dinner table! Be sure to check with your butcher ahead of time to make sure they will have the large pork loin available.
Ingredients
Chestnut and Pear Stuffing
- 8 oz slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 4 ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 Vidalia or sweet onions, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1/4 fennel bulb, cut into ¼-inch dice
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 4 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
- 8 oz peeled chestnuts, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 c dried cranberries
- 4 Anjou pears, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 2 c dry white wine
- 12 c cubed crustless, stale sourdough
- 4 c chicken stock, warmed and divided
Pork
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves removed and finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 (13-rib) pork loin, membrane between the rib bones slit to allow the pork to curl around and stand up
- Pear and Chestnut Stuffing, recipe above
Pan Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 Vidalia or sweet onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 ennel bulb, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 8 c chicken stock, divided
- 2 c dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Chestnut and Pear Stuffing
Pork
- In a large saute pan with tall sides, add the bacon and cook over medium heat. Let the bacon get brown and crispy.
- Add the celery, onions, and fennel and season with salt. Cook the vegetables until they get soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Toss in the chestnuts, dried cranberries, and pears, and stir to combine. Add the wine and let it reduce by half over medium-low heat.
- Put the bread in a large mixing bowl and add the cooked vegetable mixture to the bread. Stir to combine and douse the bread with half of the chicken stock. Use your hands to combine the bread, vegetables, and stock. Add more chicken stock if needed to really saturate the bread. Season with salt to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, sage and crushed red pepper with the olive oil. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and brush both sides with the olive oil herb paste.
- Place the pork in a large roasting pan and stuff the center of the pork with the Pear and Chestnut Stuffing. *There will be leftover stuffing. Place the leftover stuffing in a baking dish and cook for 35 minutes at 350 degrees°F.
- For the pan sauce, place the garlic and diced veggies around the pork. Add half the chicken stock, the wine, and bay leaves to the pan. Sprinkle everything with salt.
- Cover the pork bones with aluminum foil to prevent the bones from burning. Place the pork in the oven. Roast until the pork is starting to brown, about 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 325°F.
- Roast the pork for another 2 ½ hours, basting the pork occasionally. Rotate the pork a couple of times during the cooking time. If the liquid level reduces, replace it with the remaining stock.
- When the pork is cooked to the proper doneness - an instant-read thermometer should read between 140 and 145°F - remove it from the oven. Carefully transfer the pork to a serving platter and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer the pan juices to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Blend the veggies if desired to create a smoother sauce.
- To serve: Remove the twine. Scoop out the stuffing and cut the pork in between the bones to create chops. Top with pan sauce.