Roasted Pork Loin with Pumpkin, Sage, Apple, Bacon and Macadamia Stuffing

By Dana Sims on December 6, 2019 in Food

Get some pork on your fork.

Keep the Christmas Day kitchen mayhem to a minimum and still wow the table with this delicious roast pork loin and stuffing recipe. It’s all about injecting lots of flavour into the pork with the stuffing. Apples and sage are a good marriage and the pumpkin creates a little sweetness. Add a macadamia crunch and smoky bacon to the mix and the stuffing will develop richness as the pork roasts.
Crucial to a successful outcome is tender Australian pork that’s well rested and a crunchy crackling. Be generous with the stuffing and be sure to season well.
This Christmas pork recipe is simple and quick to prepare so you can focus on what’s important, the fun around the table. Have a very merry one!

Ingredients
1.8-2.0 kg pork loin
Kitchen string for tying the pork
1 bunch fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped (approx. 15gm)
1 large pink lady apple, peeled and cored, cut into small cubes
1 cup pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, cut into small cubes
½ small red onion, finely diced
2 rashers smoky bacon, diced
¼ cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped into small pieces
2 slices sourdough, crust removed, torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
1. Take pork out of the fridge one hour before cooking to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. To make the stuffing,
heat a frypan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil, then fry the onion, apple and pumpkin for 6 minutes until it starts to soften and caramelise.
3. Add the bacon, sourdough, macadamia nuts and sage and fry for a further 4 minutes, mixing together. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
4. On a chopping board, score the pork skin, then place skin side down and carefully carve the pork open so it’s flat and creates a cavity for the stuffing, (you can get your butcher to do this when you buy the pork).
5. Generously spoon the stuffing onto the pork and roll tightly to close. Tie kitchen string firmly at intervals to keep the pork together while cooking. Lightly coat the skin with olive oil and generously rub salt into it.
6. Place the pork in a roasting tin on a wire rack with a splash of water in the bottom. Put it in the oven at 220°C for 10 minutes to help kick start the crackling, then reduce heat to 180°C and cook for a further 1 hour and 50 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the crackling is crunchy.
7. Any leftover stuffing that you didn’t use can be roasted on a lined baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes before you take the pork out.
8. Remove pork from the oven and rest for 15-20 minutes. Then carve and serve and spoon on any additional stuffing.

Dana Sims is a Sydney-based food and prop stylist who has grown up in the Eastern Suburbs and loves to create delicious food for entertaining and family. She is inspired by the fresh produce we have access to here in Sydney. For ideas, recipes and styling inspiration, check out her Instagram, @stone_and_twine.