Carmenere Pairing with Pork Loin

Stuffed Pork loin with Chimichurri paired with Carmenere from Chile

Name: Stuffed Pork loin with Chimichurri
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1- 1.5 lb pork loin; 2 slices of bacon; 2 tbs olive oil; ½ cup of chopped onion; ½ cup of thawed frozen spinach; ½ cup shredded smoked gouda; 1 tbs minced garlic (optional); Salt & pepper

November 20, 2020 Posted by Robin Renken Recipes and Wine Pairings, Wine and Food Pairings No Comments

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Stuffed pork loin with Chimichurri

There are a couple of great things about a stuffed pork loin. First, they are inexpensive. I got mine on sale 2 for $10. Even when not on sale a 1.5 lb pork loin will rarely cost you more than $10. Second, you can stuff them with a wide array of things, which allows you to cater to your tastes or to the wine you will be drinking (we were pairing with Chilean Carménère). I opted to go with spinach, bacon, onion and smoked gouda.

We also did a salad of spinach, bacon, and blue cheese as a side dish.

Time: 50 Minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1- 1.5 lb pork loin
2 slices of bacon
2 tbs olive oil
½ cup of chopped onion
½ cup of thawed frozen spinach
½ cup shredded smoked gouda
1 tbs minced garlic (optional)
Salt & pepper

Carmenere Pairing with Stuffed Pork loin with chimichurri and spinach salad

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 F.
In a large skillet cook the two slices of bacon with 2 tbs of olive oil for about 3-4 minutes. (I cooked 2 extra to add to my salad)
When it is crisp, add in the ½ cup of onion and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
During the last minute, add salt and pepper (and minced garlic if you are using it)
Butterfly the pork loin, cutting a deep slit in it lengthwise, but not all the way through. Spread the sides open, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to about ¾ inch thickness.
Sprinkle the pork loin with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you might choose.
Spread half of the loin with the spinach, top that with the bacon, the onions, and finally the cheese.
Starting at the side with the filling, roll up your pork loin.
Tie with string (3-5 pieces).
Season the outside and sear the pork loin in the pan with the bacon drippings (about 2 minutes per side).
Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, transfer the pork loin there and roast for 18-25 minutes. Check for drippings periodically and baste your pork loin with those. After 18 minutes begin checking the temperature with an instant meat thermometer. You want the interior temperature to be between 145 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
When it is at the right temperature, remove it from the oven and place the loin on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.
Remove the strings and slice.
Serve with a drizzle of chimichurri sauce

Carmenere Gran Reserva and Casillera del Diablo from Chile with Pork Loin Chimchira and salad

Bacon, Spinach, Gouda Stuffed Porkloin

Porkloin for Stuffed Porkloin with Chimichurri paired with Carmenere from Chile

1- 1.5 lb pork loin

Bacon slices

2 tbs olive oil

½ cup of chopped onion

Watch our quick video for the highlights.

Frozen Spinach thawed for Stuffed Porkloin with Chimichurri paired with Carmenere from Chile

1 cup fresh spinach or ½ cup thawed frozen spinach

Shredded Smoked Gouda for Stuffed Porkloin with Chimichurri paired with Carmenere from Chile

½ cup of cheese

Salt

pepper

Full disclosure: this pork loin did not want to butterfly easily, my technique is new, so I will get better. We did end up kind of butterflying each half again so that we could pound it out and accidentally cut all the way through in one spot. Guess what? Wasn’t a disaster! It worked just fine and looked beautiful when it was done anyway!

You can use fresh spinach, but I used frozen spinach that I defrosted. This way I could drain and squeeze it to control the water content and it makes spreads and fills easily.

Cheese is all about your preference. I happened to have smoked gouda in the fridge from a previous recipe and it turned out that it worked really well. Substitute your favorite cheese. You can also use softer cheeses, like goat or cream cheese. With these I would have mixed in the spinach rather than layering it and be aware, the softer the cheese, the more likely it is to try to ooze out of the ends while it’s cooking.

Carmenere Gran Reserva and Casillera del Diablo from Chile

Carmenère

Once widely grown in Medoc within the Bordeaux region. Cabernet Franc is one of its parents and it inherited those Cab Franc pyrazines, which lend it herbaceous notes. It is also a late-ripening grape. Luckily, in Chile, it has found a home where it can ripen until May (think November in the Northern hemisphere).

Concha Y Toro is one of the largest wine companies in the world, but they began here in Chile in 1883 founded by Don Melchor Concha y Toro.

We received 2 Carmenères as media samples, one that comes with a story, the other with a deep history and sense of place. Let’s start by zeroing in on the area these wines come from in this 3000-mile North-South expanse of Chile.

Stuffed Pork loin with Chimichurri

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

1- 1.5 lb pork loin
2 slices of bacon
2 tbs olive oil
½ cup of chopped onion
½ cup of thawed frozen spinach
½ cup shredded smoked gouda
1 tbs minced garlic (optional)
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 F.
In a large skillet cook the two slices of bacon with 2 tbs of olive oil for about 3-4 minutes. (I cooked 2 extra to add to my salad)
When it is crisp, add in the ½ cup of onion and saute for 5 minutes until soft.
During the last minute, add salt and pepper (and minced garlic if you are using it)
Butterfly the pork loin, cutting a deep slit in it lengthwise, but not all the way through. Spread the sides open, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to about ¾ inch thickness.
Sprinkle the pork loin with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you might choose.
Spread half of the loin with the spinach, top that with the bacon, the onions, and finally the cheese.
Starting at the side with the filling, roll up your pork loin.
Tie with string (3-5 pieces).
Season the outside and sear the pork loin in the pan with the bacon drippings (about 2 minutes per side).
Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, transfer the porkloin there and roast for 18-25 minutes. Check for drippings periodically and baste your pork loin with those. After 18 minutes begin checking the temperature with an instant meat thermometer. You want the
interior temperature to be between 145 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
When it is at the right temperature, remove it from the oven and place the loin on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.
Remove the strings and slice.
Serve with a drizzle of chimichurri sauce

Notes

You can use fresh spinach, but I used frozen spinach that I defrosted. This way I could drain and squeeze it to control the water content and it makes spreads and fills easily.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 485Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 157mgSodium 384mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 52g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.