Ham and pate' stuffed Pork loin: Pork at the third power

A gourmet dish we enjoyed during these holidays.
A little long preparation, not difficult, but the end result worth the effort; of course if you like pork, because this dish is pork at the third power!

Ingredients:
1 large pork loin
1 cup of vegetable broth
Mixed vegetables
Truffle pate’
Ham, sliced in squares
Béchamel (butter, flour, milk, nutmeg, grated parmesan)
Condiments (oil, salt, pepper, herbs....)


Let’s start with a large pork loin (the tenderloin is too skinny for this preparation), salted and herbed and lightly oiled




We need to brown it to impart the first layer of flavor





Once browned all over we transfer it in a Dutch oven





Prepare the vegetable: potatoes (blanched) , carrots, onion and celery cut in small chunks





Adding some tomatoes, we pour one cup of vegetable broth and put the vegetables on the top of our roast, to keep it moist during the cooking.





After 20 minutes, even if not fully cooked, take out the meat from the Dutch oven and set aside






I removed some potatoes and let the rest of the vegetable to cook longer, until very tender and almost creamy






Now we use a colander to separate the flavorful broth from the vegetables; we must drain the veggies very well!






And we puree them in a robot, to obtain a smooth yellow cream





This cream is very thick, like a paste






It is now time to make a dense béchamel (2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup of milk and remember: add it COLD to avoid lumps); this step is optional, but I recommend it to provide a sumptuous finish to the dish.






Once cold (better to put it in the fridge once out of the pan) we can slice the loin in not too thin slices.
If it’s still pinkish in the center, don’t worry: it means it is not dry and we will cook again briefly.






Now in a shallow pan ( I used the cover of my Dutch oven) let’s spread some of our vegetable cream






And carefully let’s put the sliced loin on the top of it; the cream form a sticky base that holds the slices in place






Now comes the pork at the second power: a nice truffle pate’ (you can make it or buying a ready one); be sure to work it with a spoon in order to create some creaminess.







We need to assemble our pork: grab a slice and spread the pate’ on one side







Then pick a square of ham (this is the pork at the third power)







and attach it to the pate’: it will stick without problems







Spread some more pate’ on the ham and reinsert the slice, creating this sequence: meat, pate’, ham, pate’, meat.....










Re-assemble the whole loin, with the stuffing between each slice.






It’s time to cover our creation; we mix the béchamel with the rest of the vegetable cream






And use this “ thick paste” to completely cover the loin











Oven already warm at 450F and put it on the top shelf for 10-15 minutes, until you see the top browning lightly and the interior is warm.






When you serve it the crust is just crunchy on the surface, but inside is moist and creamy






We had it with simple spinaches, sautéed Tuscan style (oil, garlic and hot pepper).







As you can see the inside is really moist






And the pate’ provides additional flavor






Pork at the third power: pork loin, pate’ and ham, but of course the vegetables make it a well-balanced meal.

Absolutely fabulous! Great photos.

I'd hit it

Very nice prep!
How about butterflying the pork loin and rolling the pate and ham inside?
Sure looks like it would taste great!-Richard

You are right Richard, that could be an option; I used it when doing a sort of Pork Rolle'

as you said, butterflying the loin



adding a layer of prosciutto






then making a thin frittata with peas and putting it on the prosciutto





and topping it with a final layer of chopped spinach sauteed with garlic




a little fontina like cheese to finish with a smoked flavor




rolling the loin back




and with a little gravy is good warm..







and served cold, with a tasty home made mayo



Thank you for the suggestion Richard.. for the festivities I wanted to show off a little... but next time I'll try the rolling approach you suggested also for this Pork pate'

Again, looks very nice!
The obvious care and attention to detail in your combinations is to be commended!
I also usually 'pound' the butterfly for a thinner and wider 'roll up'.
I have a couple of Wusthof meat pounders that work quite well.
One last thought, I purchase a cut of pork at El Rey in Milwaukee that looks like it's from a whole loin that has been sliced lengthwise, yielding a nice rectangular piece. I then 'pound' this piece for 'roll up's or for just sautéing a large cutlet Viennese style..
-Richard