Fig and blue cheese-stuffed pork tenderloin

This is one of those recipes that I've had in my pile for years (literally--three!) and I've never had the opportunity to make.  It's one of those recipes that you would never see on a menu at a restaurant, never pick out for yourself, and never think anyone else will really like.  For me, I love the component parts of this recipe.  Well, mostly the figs; I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese or pork.  This recipe is kind of like Barack Obama--it sounded like a good idea at the time.

[Did she just SAY that?]

[Yes, I did.]

Anyway, I wasn't a HUGE fan of this dish, but as promised, I will write about it so that everyone can learn from my mistake.  Not that it was a big mistake--it's just that I would have been happier with something else.  I was having some girlfriends over for dinner last Friday night and ran the idea by them to make sure no one objected to figs and blue cheese.  When I got the green light, I decided to go for it.

I started by preparing the pork tenderloin.  Now, my own personal opinion is that raw pork--like most raw white meat--is nasty.  Trimming the fat off of a long piece of pig is not the most appetizing way to start an evening.  Then, I had to pound the pork to 1/2 inch.  I've always read instructions about putting a piece of plastic wrap over the meat when pounding, but I've never done it, mostly because I didn't want to waste the plastic wrap.  But, when the pork shards went flying, I finally understood the concept.  Anyway, after about 10 minutes, I finally got the pork down to 1/2 inch or so.

Next came the rolling.  The figs and blue cheese weren't being overly cooperative in remaining in the pork, but I finally got everyone all rolled up and onto the roasting pan.  Yay.

Notice the unevenness of the pork.  Big boo.

The cooking part was the next problem.  See, there was a pork layer on the inside of the roll, which meant that the outside layer of pork was cooked through while the inside was raw.  In order to fully cook the inside layer, the outside was overcooked.  Overcooked pork, my friends, is not tasty.  Plus, all the cheese melted during the extra cooking time, which was quite sad.  I'm not sure how to remedy this problem, which means that I probably won't make stuffed pork again.  Unless someone has some advice. . .

I served it with an almond rice pilaf mixed with dried currants, fresh parsley and plenty of butter, as well as some steamed green beans.  We washed it all down with a couple of bottles of red wine, and the dinner was a success.  But anything with good wine is a success in my book.

Moral of the story: don't try this at home.  But in case you want to, here is the recipe:

Snatched from Cooking Light

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 cup dried figs, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (other reviewers recommended gorgonzola or goat cheese)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon apple jelly, melted (though I used apricot preserves and didn't melt)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Slice pork in half lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, the other side.  Open the halves, laying pork flat.  Place pork between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.  Sprinkle figs and blue cheese over pork, leaving a 1/2 inch margin around the outside edges.  Roll up the pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with the long side.  Secure at 2-inch intervals with twine, or just place the seam side down.  Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, and place on a foil-lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. (I placed on roasting rack.)

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.  Brush jelly over the pork.  Bake an additional 5 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees (slightly pink).  Let stand for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.