Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Rosemary Panko

I first came across a stuffed pork tenderloin recipe a year ago (that I for some reason have never been able to find again) that changed the way I think of tenderloin forever. I always thought it was a dry piece of meat that was meant to be a vessel for gravy and nothing more. Hahaha silly me I was soooo wrong!

I have stuffed pork tenderloin with couscous and caramelized onions, italian breadcrumbs and sage, and finally, panko and rosemary. While these have all been delicious, my BF has decided that this week's tenderloin was one of his favorite meals I have ever made, so that's the recipe I'll share!

Feel free to tweak the recipe in any way you see fit! You can quickly toast the breadcrumbs/panko, you can stuff it with cranberries or apples, you can give it a nice pepper crust, you can do anything!!!



Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin
• Fresh rosemary
• Olive oil
• Acid for marinade (I used some of the juice that my pickled jalepenos are in, but you can use lemon juice/apple cider vinegar/orange juice/etc.)
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• Salt, pepper
• Twine/Toothpicks to fasten the stuffed tenderloin for baking

Directions:

1. In a ziploc bag, put the tenderloin, about 10 leaves of rosemary, salt/pepper to taste, and 1 part acid to 2 parts oil. Marinate this for at least 24 hours. Do not cut corners! This is where all the magic happens and the longer your tenderloin marinates, the juicier it will be at the end. 
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. Finely dice 10 more fresh rosemary leaves. Mix it with the panko, salt/pepper (and other seasonings if you want) in a small bowl.
4. Slice the tenderloin like a hot dog bun - lengthwise and not all the way through! Using your hands, put the panko mix in the slot and then use kitchen string to tie it closed (4 pieces looped around each end and a quarter of the way in on each side). Toothpicks also work, they are just more work later to get out :)
5. Roast the tenderloin on an ungreased baking sheet in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, turning halfway through to ensure even browning. Remove the kitchen string (or toothpicks) before serving!

Enjoy!

P.S.  This goes great with "Thanksgiving-style" dishes like mashed taters and squash, as well as simple sides like peas and spinach.