Stuffed Pork Tenderloin wrapped in ham

This is a dish that has been in the family for years... so long, in fact, that it's not even in my ancient, handwritten recipes book!

The ingredients we used were 6 slices parma ham (could also use serrano or proscuitto), about 85g blue cheese (we used gorgonzola), 2 Tablespoons of sundried tomatoes (ours had been preserved in oil), a generous handful of spinach (ours were fresh baby leaf, but frozen is also fine - use about three blocks) and a loin of pork in a piece (ours was about 450g).

The pork loin was prepared by carefully removing the sinew from the outside (we used a sharp knife for this - makes it easier to slice close to the tough bits that need removing).  Then the loin was cut along its length but NOT all the way through.

It was then opened out and, with a piece of baking paper on top, was bashed with a rolling pin (or you could use a meat tenderiser) to an even thickness of about 1cm.


Whilst the pork was being prepared, the tomatoes and spinach were heated through in a pan on a medium heat.



As soon as the spinach had wilted, the blue cheese was added and mixed through.

The spinach, cheese, tomato mix was then placed along the length of the loin and the edges were gently pulled together (this can be a bit fiddly and you may have to adjust the amount of filling needed depending on how thinly the pork has been beaten out).

Carefully wrapping the filled loin with ham, the edges were covered and then the meat was wrapped, as tightly as possible in greaseproof paper.

Placing the meat in the fridge, it was left to cool for an hour (longer is fine, can be prepared to this stage the day before).

To cook, the meat was placed in a roasting tin and put in a pre-heated 170ºC fan oven.

We cooked ours for 35minutes as it was very well chilled before going into the oven.  The meat was checked for level of cook by inserting a metal skewer, making sure it was warm at the tip, and seeing if the meat juices ran clear.  If it's not done enough, return to oven and set timer for another 3-5 minutes until cooked to your liking.

The meat was then rested on a carving board for ten minutes.

Carving the meat, it was served with vegetables and roasted mixed potatoes.

When cooled completely, it carves well and we often use it as a cold picnic meat.