Stuffed Pork Loin

1. Prepare Cherry and Wild Rice Stuffing; set aside. Trim fat from pork. Butterfly the meat by making a lengthwise cut down the center of the meat, cutting to within 1/2 inch of the other sides; spread open. Place knife in the V of the cut and cut horizontally to the cut surface and away from the center cut to within 1/2 inch of the other side of the meat. Repeat on opposite side of the V. Spread meat open. Cover the roast with plastic wrap. Working from center (thicker part) to edges, pound with flat side of a meat mallet until meat is an even thickness of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Remove plastic wrap. Set meat aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the stuffing evenly over the meat. Roll meat into a spiral, starting from a short side. Tie roast in three or four places with heavy 100-percent-cotton kitchen string. Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Insert an oven-going meat thermometer into center of roast. Roast, uncovered, for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 145°F, covering ends of meat after 45 minutes to prevent stuffing from drying out. Transfer roast to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil; let stand while preparing gravy.

3. For pan gravy, add the 1 cup water to roasting pan, using a wire whisk to stir and scrape up browned bits. In a small saucepan whisk together the 1/3 cup cold water and the flour. Whisk in pan juices. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Season to taste with additional salt and ground black pepper. If desired, sprinkle gravy with cracked black pepper.

4. Remove string from pork roast; discard. Slice roast; serve with gravy. If desired, garnish with cherries and/or snipped fresh thyme sprigs.

Cherry and Wild Rice Stuffing

1. Rinse rice rice under cold running water until clean; drain. In a small saucepan combine rice, water, rosemary, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in dried cherries; set aside. In a large skillet cook sausage and onion until sausage is browned and onion is tender; drain off fat. Stir in parsley, thyme, and black pepper. If necessary, drain the rice mixture. Stir cooked rice mixture into sausage mixture.

Spinach and Apricot Stuffing

1. In a large pot cook spinach in rapidly boiling water for 1 minute. Drain well, squeezing out excess liquid. Pat dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, coarsely snip spinach; set aside.

2. In a large skillet cook shallots and garlic in hot oil about 3 minutes or until shallots are tender. Remove from heat. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, prosciutto, apricots, pecans, and Gruyere.

To Make Ahead:

Prepare the stuffing and butterfly the roast. Cover and chill separately for up to 24 hours. Stuff the pork and roast as directed.

Stuffed Pork Loin with Spinach and Apricot Stuffing

Nutrition analysis per serving with Spinach Apricot Stuffing: 326 calories, 39 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 13 g total fat (4 g sat. fat), 105 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 4 g total sugar, 115% Vitamin A, 42% Vitamin C, 385 mg sodium, 17% calcium, 23% iron