Stuffed pork tenderloin with red current glaze | Rob Rainford

Yield: 6–8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 pork tenderloins, 12oz (350g) each
• 10oz firm goat cheese (300g)
• 2 lemons and zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, roughly chopped (30ml)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup spinach leaves washed and dried (250ml)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (45ml)
• 3 cups fruitwood chips (apple wood or cherry wood) (750ml)

Glaze

• 1 cup of pre-made red current jelly (250ml)
• ½ cup red zinfandel wine (125ml)
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper (5ml)
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves (15ml)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15ml)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl mix together goat cheese, lemon zest, oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully open the tenderloins like a book by making a slit down the length of the meat without going all the way through the other side.   Lay the meat between two sheets of parchment paper and pound with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to an even thickness of about ½ inch (1 cm).  Lift off the parchment paper and drizzle the meat with olive oil.  Lightly season the pork with pepper. Lay spinach leaves down evenly over pork.  Crumble goat cheese mixture over the spinach.  Roll the pork up lengthways to form a large sausage shaped roll and tie with butcher twine.  Place on a baking tray and drizzle with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
3. Place 2 cups (500ml) of the wood chips in water to soak for 1 hour.
4. To prepare glaze add red wine, current jelly and pepper in a medium size saucepan.
5. Place the pan over medium heat and let cook for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and add the lemon and mint.  Set aside as basting for pork.
6. Prepare barbeque for grilling by preheating one side of the grill to 400°F/200°C or high heat and the other side of the grill to 375°F /190°C or medium high heat.
7. Drain wet chips from water and squeeze out excess liquid.  Place on a large sheet of foil and add dry wood chip mix with 1 cup (250ml) of the dry chips.  Place the chips on a large sheet of foil and wrap loosely to form a pouch.  Using a fork, poke holes on both sides of the pouch. Remove the grill grate from the barbeque and place the smoke pouch directly on the high heat source.
8. Oil the grill.
9. Place tenderloins over medium heat side and cook for 3 minutes or until golden char marks are achieved.  Flip the pork and cook for another 3 minutes.  Turn the heat source directly under pork off.
10. Using a pastry brush, glaze the tenderloins with red current mixture.
11. When smoke starts to billow out of the barbeque turn the heat source under smoke pouch to 325°F/162°C or medium heat.
12. Let pork smoke for 15 minutes and then glaze again.  Let cook for 10 more minutes and remove.  Place on tray and loosely tent with foil.  Let meat rest 10 minutes before slicing.