Ham and Pineapple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

There’s something about stuffing that just seems to make the dish better. Maybe adding texture, flavor, color or, whatever, I just really like it. I have quite a few stuffed recipes here, the usual suspects; chicken breast, poblanos, shells and peppers, but not tenderloin. Tenderloin is called this for a reason, it’s tender and delicious, not something that gets stuffed too often. Well, when presented with a tenderloin one day, I came up with ham and pineapple stuffed pork tenderloin. You might want to read this one, and then you’ll want to cook it.

I should probably start with why? Why stuff anything? The idea of stuffing goes back over a thousand years, there was a Roman cookbook that mentioned stuffing, amongst other things, chicken, rabbit and pig, so the idea is not new. But why? well, the stuffing helps to preserve some of the moisture, and, there is an exchange of flavors. The stuffing adds to the flavor of the dish, and, whatever is being stuffed adds to the flavor of the stuffing. In essence a whole new dish is being created.

I do have to say that there are some concerns when it comes to cooking anything stuffed. The USDA advises that cooking anything with the body cavity filled with stuffing can pose a hazard. Well, we’re not filling a body cavity here, and the cooking temperature will be monitored.

The cut of meat itself comes from the upper section of the animal and it runs from the base of the ribcage to the rump section. It’s a muscle that really only get’s used for posture, not movement, this makes it tender and not tough, hence the name.

When it comes to cutting the tenderloin for stuffing, I want to keep it as simple as possible. But, obviously, it needs to be flatter. Using a sharp knife, slice it lengthwise, about 3/4 of the way to the other side, and, open it up. Now do the same cut on each of the halves you’ve just created, and open them up. That will give you something to roll up. Liberally sprinkle kosher salt and coarse ground pepper on both sides of the tenderloin and let it sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients

As for the stuffing, well, it really breaks down into two types. With or without bread, sounds pretty simple. With bread is your traditional stuffing served at the holidays. Without bread, is a more savory stuffing used for stuffing meat like chicken breast, or in this case tenderloin.

Because I want a savory stuffing, I’ll start with a mirepoix. That wonderful savory base that so many good dishes are built on. In this case carrots, onions and celery. To that, I’ll add some cubed ham. I know, some of you are saying why should I stuff pork with ham? Well, ham has smoky flavor that I love. And, if I’m adding ham, well, why not pineapple, I mean, the two just compliment each other so well. And, I’ll round out the list with cheese, because, well, I love cheese, and it goes with ham.

All the stuffing ingredients have to be diced small. It’s physically easier to stuff the tenderloin with finer chunks. But, also, I need the vegetables to cook in the time it takes the meat to cook. About an hour.

Now to the fun part. Lay the tenderloin out on a flat surface. Cover with a thin layer of the stuffing mix. Something to note here, don’t use your hands to take the stuffing mix from the bowl, use a spoon, otherwise you’ll contaminate the stuffing with the pork. That way you can keep the stuffing you don’t use, put it in a container, save for another day. Should be good for a few days in the fridge.

Now, roll the whole thing up nice and tight and tie with cooking twine. You’ll want to tie it up every 2 or 3 inches so it doesn’t come apart. Now put the whole thing in a parchment paper lined baking dish. Put in a preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour. I have an oven thermometer l that I use to monitor the temperature. It needs to be at 170 degrees, but also the vegetables have to be cooked, so about an hour should do. When it’s done, take it out and let it rest a few on the counter.

Enjoy your ham and pineapple stuffed pork tenderloin, Slice and serve with the sides of your choice. Thank you for reading and enjoy dinner.