Fig Stuffed Pork Loin..almost by the book

So we were trying another Thomas Keller recipe from Ad Hoc at home, this one took some adapting. Lets start off by saying there is a difference between pork tenderloin and pork loin...The tenderloin is those two skinny loins you get at public, the loin is the monster roast you get at costco. (You may be able to find them in your grocery store but I didn't) Let me follow up by saying February is not fig season, good luck finding fresh ones. Three stores later I decide F it, dried figs will work too ;) The end product was great but this dish was an all day affair. The recipe below is what I did to make it work, do yourself a favor and get the pork loin and stuff it instead of the nonsense I did with the tenderloin

The long way is to brine the pork and make your own fig jam for the stuffing. You could of course cheat and not brine (won't be as tender) and buy fig jam...

2 1/2 Lbs Pork Tenderloin
Pork Brine (recipe to follow)
2 Tbsp Oil (vegetable or other neutral)
1/2 C cubed bread (1/2" cube, ciabatta)
1 Fennel Bulb, cut 1 1/2" matchsticks (1/2 cup)
1 Shallot, minced
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/4 C Chicken Stock
1 Tsp thyme, finely minced
1 Cup Fig Jam (recipe to follow, or cheat)
Salt and Pepper

Brine:
8 Cups water
1 Cup kosher salt
1/4 C honey
1/2 bunch thyme
3 Sprigs Rosemary
Handfull of chopped parsley
5 Garlic cloves smashed
2 Tsp whole peppercorns

To make the brine, combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, dissolve salt, remove from heat. Let cool completely before using.

Fig Jam:
1 Lbs Dried Figs (2 lbs of fresh would have been better)
1 1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Balsamic vinegar
1 Tsp Peppercorns, tied in a satchel (I used a coffee filter because i didn't have cheese cloth)
1/2 Lemon, juice

To make the Jam:
Roughly chop to figs. Combine figs, sugar, vinegar, and pepper satchel in a med sauce pot. Heat over med-high heat until it just simmers, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and insert a candy thermometer. When the temp hits 215 remove from the heat. Let cool and store in an sir tight container.


To make the Roast:
Brine the pork for 6-10 hours. Remove from brine and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and let the pork sit out until it comes to room tempeture. Heat the oven to 350.  Meanwhile make the stuffing. In a large skillet heat oil over med-high heat. Add the bread cubes and season with salt and pepper. Cook browning on both sides 2 mins. Remove bread and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Return pan to the heat and add the fennel. Cook until soft on the outside and crisp in the middle, 3-4 mins. Add the shallots and garlic, cook 1 min. Add the jam, thyme and chicken stock. Heat through. Remove from heat and let cool.

The tricky part with tenderloins...On a cutting board put the two loins together and fill the middle with the stuffing. Truss together the two tenderloins. (The bottom should be touching and the top will be slightly open.) Season the roast with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat oil over med-high until smoking. Brown the roast on each side. Then place in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 30-40mins, until a instant read thermometer reads 135-140. Let rest for 30 mins then slice.

Enjoy!