Olive and Pepper-Stuffed Pork Loin
This Olive and Pepper-Stuffed Pork Loin is a show-stopping centerpiece for Christmas, Easter or any celebratory meal. Juicy pork is stuffed with olives, red peppers, garlic, basil and more for a fun, Italian-inspired dinner. Plus it happens to naturally be gluten-free, keto, Paleo and Whole30 compatible!
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 405kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large Russet potato
- 6 oz. jar pitted Kalamata olives, drained
- 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained
- ⅓ cup packed basil, roughly torn
- 1 tablespoon capers packed in brine, drained
- 4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, patted dry and roughly chopped (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more as necessary
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as necessary
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 3½-4 pounds boneless pork loin with its fat cap intact
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup butter or ghee (for Paleo/Whole30)
Instructions
- Stab the potato with a fork 4-5 times. Place on a microwave-safe plate and nuke for 7-8 minutes, flipping it once halfway through. Let cool. Peel and mash.
- In a food processor, add the olives, peppers, basil, capers, anchovies, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using) and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Pulse 4-5 times until it's a chunky paste.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup of the mashed potato, 1 cup of the olive mixture, the red wine vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir until blended. Taste and add more salt if necessary. It might already taste really salty and that's okay! It'll get dispersed evenly through the pork loin. Set the mixture aside. (No food processor? You can also chop everything somewhat finely by hand and stir together.)
- Heat the oven to 375°.
- Cut six 12"-long pieces of kitchen twine and set aside next to where you'll be working with the pork.
- Place the pork loin on the cutting board with one of the short sides closest to you.
- Flip the loin over so the fat cap is facing down. Slice down the length of the loin about ½" in from the right side (if you're right-handed).
- Now turn the knife so the blade is flat and parallel with the cutting board, about ½" up from the board. Slice down the length of the loin, making sure your knife doesn't angle up or down.
- Keep slicing down the length of loin. Pull the pork open as you cut. Stop about ½" from the other long side. Lay the loin open like a book and repeat the process until you can open up the loin a second time.
- Cover the loin with plastic wrap and use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound any thicker areas so the loin is an even thickness.
- Flip the loin over so the fat cap is facing up. Season the whole surface with salt, pepper and the Italian seasoning.
- Flip the loin over again so the fat cap is facing down. Season the whole surface with salt.
- Using a small offset spatula, a regular spatula or your hands, spread the olive and potato mixture evenly across the surface of the loin, stopping about 1" from the edges.
- Roll up the loin from the long side on the left. Don't press too hard so you don't squeeze the filling out the sides (that being said, if some naturally falls out, that's fine).
- Slide the pieces of string under the pork, evenly spreading them out. Tie each piece firmly (but again, not super tight) and trim any excess string.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet or small, stovetop-safe roasting pan over medium-high heat.
- Place the loin in the pan fat cap-side down. Sear the fat until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.
- Flip the loin so the fat cap is facing up. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the meat reads 145°. Make sure the thermometer tip isn't actually in the filling (stab the pork in a few different places to make sure).
- Remove from the oven and place the loin on a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Scoop any big bits or chunks of fat or the olive mixture out of the pan and discard. Heat the pan over medium heat. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to scrape any remaining bits off the pan. Stir in the butter or ghee one tablespoon at a time until you have a thick, glossy sauce. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if necessary. Pour into a small pitcher.
- Cut the string and remove from the pork. Slice and carefully arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle first with any remaining juices on the cutting board and then the balsamic sauce. Serve with any remaining sauce on the side.
Notes
If you don't like anchovies, I promise you don't taste them specifically, they just add a briny, salty boost of umami. You can leave them out but then you'll need to add more salt to the filling.
You can cut the recipe in half by using a 2-2.5 lb. boneless pork loin. You can either make the filling as is but only use enough to cover the butterflied pork (which means lots leftover! See ideas below) or cut the filling ingredients in half as well. The cooking time will remain the same.
What to make ahead
You can make the olive and pepper mixture up to a week in advance and kept in the fridge.
The potato can be cooked, peeled and mashed up to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Leftovers
You'll have some of the olive mixture left over - lucky you! Bring it to room temperature before you try any of the following:
- Toss with hot spaghetti noodles and maybe a touch of the spaghetti's cooking water to create a thick, flavorful sauce
- Mix into scrambled eggs or spoon on top
- Spread it in a sandwich, grilled cheese or panini
- Spoon on top of chicken, pork chops, or seafood (salmon, white fish, shrimp, etc.)
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 1055mg | Potassium: 1026mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 304IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg