As the former Director of Communications for the U.S. pork industry, I had the pleasure of eating a lot of amazing pork over the years. Every year, my organization hosted the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa and I was able to travel throughout the country, visiting pork producers and eating at some of the most amazing barbeque establishments. Given that I didn’t have any experience in agriculture beyond visits to the U.S. Naval Academy Dairy Farm in Gambrills, Md., I learned a great deal about family farmers and what it takes to put food on the tables of people here at home and around the world. Food safety is taken very seriously, and the business operates on very tight margins with a lot expenses and work that must be performed 365 days a year, 7 days a week. American farmers of both organic and conventionally produced meat products do amazing work and are to be commended.
I say all of this because pork is STILL my favorite protein all these years later and it is something I turn to every week for a variety of dinners. I love ground pork for meatballs or the filling in dumplings. And pork shoulder is excellent for tacos. Chops and loins pair perfectly with cabbage, so I love making savoy cabbage on the side or homemade braised red cabbage. The variations are endless.
In this recipe, I liked the idea of creating a slightly different version of chicken cordon bleu, which pairs ham and swiss cheese with chicken. This is a similar concept made with higher quality ingredients.
Ingredients
Two tenderloins
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
1 tbsp. dried thyme
2 tbsps. Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 pieces of prosciutto
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Place the pork tenderloins on a cutting board and remove the silver skin on the loins with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut yourself! Dry each pork tenderloin with paper towels and place one tbsp. of olive oil over each, covering all sides. Sprinkle sea salt and fresh ground black pepper on all sides. In a separate small bowl, place the chopped herbs. Sprinkle them over both loins, covering all sides.
2. Over top each pork loin, add a light covering of the grated gruyere cheese. Then wrap each loin in the slices of prosciutto diagonally covering each loin and tucking the slices underneath. Place the completed loins on a sheet pan covered in foil.
3. Place in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and check the temperature which should read 145 degrees internally for each loin. Cover in foil wrap and let the pork rest for about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately with braised red cabbage or sauteed savoy cabbage on the side.
4. Note: If the pork is bit pink in the center, this is okay! Trust your former pork employee when I say that trichinosis is a thing of the past and it is okay to have medium rare pork now! It is also even more delicious!
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