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Recipe: Swiss Chard-wrapped Pork Tenderloin

This is a bit of an unusual recipe. Since it’s late August, home gardens – and farmers’ markets, of course – are teeming with big, bold leaves of Swiss chard. Chard is a hardy green that holds up to hot temperatures better than spinach. This recipe keeps a pork tenderloin perfectly moist, being nicely wrapped up in some large leaves of Swiss chard.

The filling, made of onion, apricots, tomato and arugula is sweet and savoury. A summer stuffing, if you will. Is that a thing? It should be. Nonetheless, enjoy this for dinner this long weekend!

What you’ll need…

1 pork tenderloin (3.5-4lb)

1 sweet onion

3 cloves garlic

2 fresh apricots

1 cup baby arugula

1 tomato

4-5 swiss chard leaves

2 TBSP sundried tomatoes

1 TBSP dried oregano

2 TSP himalayan (pink) salt

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup white vinegar

salt & pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Take a small pot, fill two thirds with water, add the 1/2 cup of white vinegar as well, and bring to a boil.

While you’re waiting, chop the onion, tomato, apricots and mince the garlic. Place the onion and minced garlic into a medium pan on medium-high heat with some olive oil. When the onions have softened add in the chopped tomatoes and apricots. Add the oregano, 1 TSP himalayan salt turn to low heat and let simmer for 6 minutes. When the time’s up, fold in the baby arugula and remove from heat.

Blanch the swiss chard leaves in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Set aside until you’re ready to wrap the tenderloin. The vinegar just gives the swiss chard a bit of a kick.

If you’ve never ‘roll cut’ a pork loin, the easiest way to explain it is to cut into the loin in a ‘c‘ shape starting an inch from the top and ending an inch before the side. The loin should then fold open easily. Take the tomato-apricot mixture and place into the pork. Fold back up, wrap with the swiss chard leaves (each leaf should be able to wrap around the loin once width-wise). Tie up with 3 pieces of string (also width-wise) and place into a roast pan.

In the bottom of the roast pan add the 1/2 cup of red wine, remaining garlic and himalayan salt. Cover with the roast pan with tin foil, poke a few holes and place in your pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.

When the time comes to unwrap, you will have an intensely moist pork roast, with an awesome filling, not to mention a delicious jus at the bottom of the pan. I took the jus and sauteed up some fresh beans and garlic with it. Tasty! Any seasonal veggies would be a great accompaniment, though!

Serves 4

Total cook time…1 hour