Sanctuary from The Mad World
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch. - Orson Welles

Inspired by Bittman’s Fig-stuffed Pork Loin but I stuffed the fruit the wrong way. As I didn’t have dried figs at home, I used prunes. Despite those changes, it was nevertheless delicious: the prune melted into a gooey, sweet and sour mash which flavoured the pork perfectly. I used the neck part as it’s more juicy.

Next time though, instead of stuffing the meat with a long line of prunes, I’ll mince the prunes and stuff them within random incisions made on the meat. That way, the prune flavour will be distributed more evenly. And I’ll probably skip the fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

600 g pork loin or neck
1/2 cup dried prunes, pitted.
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Olive oil
Chopped fresh rosemary (opt)

Directions:

The night before:
1. Make a long and thin incision on each end of the meat. Make sure they meet halfway. Stuff the incision with prunes.
2. Tie the roast (I love doing it because it’s easier to brown and the roast will be compact yet juicy).
3. Rub the roast with generous amount of salt, pepper, and chopped herbs (if using). Set aside in the fridge overnight.

To cook:
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
5. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof pan until runny. Sear the roast on all sides until golden brown.
6. Stick the pan into the oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until your meat thermometer says ‘cooked to your desired doneness’.
7. Carve and serve (in this case, I thought couscous and prune made a delicious combination).