SPINACH ARTICHOKE STUFFED PORK LOIN
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This spinach artichoke stuffed pork loin recipe is full of delicious flavor. It is flattened out and rolled up with spinach artichoke dip, seared on a skillet, and baked to perfection. You can easily throw it in the oven with a few potatoes and your favorite vegetables for a one-pan dinner.
Pork loin has always been tricky for me since it is a lean cut of meat it can easily overcook and become dry. It can also be on the bland side which is why I’m always trying new recipes or techniques to lock in flavor and spice it up. I wanted to try stuffing it with some dip to kick it up a notch.
Since we all love spinach artichoke dip in this house I gave it a try. This is now one of my family’s favorite dishes and mine too. This creamy, cheesy dip packs a lot of flavor into a bland cut of pork. My kids don’t complain about having to eat spinach or artichokes since they are smothered in cheese.
It was pretty easy to cut the pork and flatten it out. The dip spreads on easily, and rolling it up and tying it was simple. I did sear the rolled-up pork on the stove-top before placing it in the oven.
I lightly seared the outside with olive oil, salt, and pepper to seal in flavor. Once the pork was seared, I placed it on a rack in a roasting pan with potatoes and garlic. You can add extra vegetables with the potatoes but technically you don’t have to because the pork is full of spinach and artichokes. 😉
TIPS ON PREPARING A STUFFED PORK LOIN
A lot of people use the butterfly technique which involves cutting the meat down the center first and down the center of each remaining half, creating 4 quarters. I have my own way that works better for me. I simply slice the pork lengthwise not fully cutting all the way through and leaving a 1/2 space.
A lot of tenderizers have two adjustable sides, one flat, and one sharp with spikes. You can use it either way just as long as you flatten it out. Starting out with the flat side and then using the spike side will help get the meat nice and flat. Flattening it to about 1/2 inch thick gives room for a dip and a smooth roll.
Place it on a large clean area or cutting board and cover it with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a tenderizer, begin to pound on the pork to flatten it out to 1/2 inch thickness.
Once flattened, I remove the plastic wrap and continue to bang a bit more with the sharp pointy end of the tenderizer to tenderize the meat.
*Properly clean and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that come into contact with raw meat.*
Next, spread the dip all over the flattened pork, adding as much as you want 🙂
Once the dip is spread over the pork you can roll the pork. Start from the long side and gently but tightly roll it up allowing room for the dip to remain inside. If you squeeze too tight the dip will squish out.
Use a few strands of kitchen twine to secure it. Sometimes I dampen the twine before using it to prevent it from burning in the oven.
HOW LONG TO COOK A PORK LOIN
To properly test if the pork is cooked I recommend using a meat thermometer. Whether or not a pork loin is stuffed, pork needs to reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees in the thickest part of the meat to be well done. For this recipe, I simply stuck a thermometer halfway through the center to test.
Make sure the tip of the thermometer is in the center, but not touching the pan. Keep a close eye and monitor the pork when it is almost done since it is a lean cut of meat and can easily overcook and become dry.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU STUFF IN THE PORK?
For this recipe, you can use homemade or storebought spinach artichoke dip. I would suggest buying at least a 15 oz jar so you have enough. If you make my recipe, you will have enough to stuff the pork and serve extra dip on the side.
Pork is so versatile that you can use most of your favorite dips or cheeses. Stuffing pork with a pear or apple filling is a great sweet and savory combination, add some toasted pecans and it’s immediately amazing. I bet stuffing a pork loin with brie cheese would be amazing as well. I can’t help but wonder what a buffalo ranch dip would taste like rolled up in pork. Hmm….so many ideas for next time. Basically, pick whichever you like. No one will judge you if buy a filling for it from a store. Here is the spinach artichoke dip recipe I used.
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork loin
- 15 oz of spinach artichoke dip
- 2 tbsp olive oil or more
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- parsley
Instructions
- Clean and dry a 3lb. pork loin.
- Cut the pork from the side lengthwise, slicing it sideways through the meat leaving a 1/2 space near the other side.
- Once sliced, open up meat and place it flat on a cutting board or clean surface covered with plastic wrap.
- Pound the meat with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until the pork is 1/2 thick.
- Remove the plastic wrap. You can tenderize it even more by pounding it more with the spike end, if desired.
- Spread spinach artichoke dip over the flattened pork.
- Starting with the long side roll the pork up with the dip.
- Once the pork is rolled up, tie it together with cooking twine to hold it together.
- Brush olive oil on the sides of the pork and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
- Turn a saucepan to medium-high heat and add olive oil to the pan. Once the pan is heated add the pork loin. Using tongs turn the pork to sear all sides. Each side should sit on heat for 3-5 minutes. Once it is seared to your liking place pork on a rack of a roasting pan.
- sprinkle with more salt, pepper, and some parsley.
- For a well-done loin roast, bake at 350 degrees in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees in the center of the thickest part of the meat. Oven times ALWAYS vary. This pork cooked for 45 minutes in my oven.
Notes
This is one of those recipes that make the dip homemade is a must; it never hurts to have extras on hand. I always serve this pork recipe with extra dip on the side.
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