Gluten Free Pistachio Cranberry Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe
When you are a recipe developer and food blogger people tend to have certain expectations. People like my husband, for instance. He has the expectation that since I spend the majority of my time cooking that there just might be a home cooked dinner on the table every night.
Sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. For instance, there are days when I spend hours baking up gluten-free cupcakes, cookies and tarts and after all the measuring, mixing, rolling out, baking, frosting and cleaning up, I just haven’t got it in me to prepare a proper meal. Unlike me, the poor man does not seem to be able to subsist on gluten-free cupcakes alone.
And then there are my friends and acquaintances. When someone knows that I have a food blog, have written a cookbook, and am actually retained by people to create recipes, they sort of expect something pretty fabulous if they come to our house for dinner.
That’s where it really pays to have in one’s repertoire a couple fancy schmancy dishes that taste oh-so gourmet and appear terribly complicated and yet couldn’t be easier. This recipe certainly falls into that category. Succulent pork tenderloin stuffed with pistachios, cranberries and goat cheese, then crusted with more pistachios for crunch and a much healthier (not to mention gluten-free) alternative to breadcrumbs – this roast is gorgeous and festive. With little hands on preparation time and about 20 minutes in the oven, this is a dish that is elegant enough for company and yet simple enough for a Wednesday night. Add some roasted root veggies and a tossed salad and your guests will be overwhelmed that you took so much time and energy to create a really special meal for them. (Shhhh – let’s just keep it between us exactly how simple it really is.)
Gluten Free Pistachio Cranberry Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cups raw unsalted pistachios – use divided
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 ounces goat cheese – at room temperature
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 (1½ to 2 pound) pork tenderloin
- 2– 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Toast ¼ cup pistachios in a small, dry skillet over medium high heat until they are toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. Grind the remaining ½ cup pistachios in a food processor until they resemble coarse corn meal. Pour onto a plate and set aside.
- Put the toasted pistachios into the food processor (no need to clean out the processor first) along with the dried cranberries and garlic. Pulse several times until the mixture is evenly ground. Add the goat cheese and pulse to combine well.
- Butterfly the pork tenderloin by placing the tenderloin on a cutting board and slicing it lengthwise almost all the way through then opening it out like a book. Sprinkle the inside of the meat with salt and pepper. Spread the pistachio/cranberry/goat cheese mixture evenly on the meat leaving about a half inch border. Roll the tenderloin lengthwise and tie with butcher’s string at about 2 inch intervals. Roll the tied tenderloin in the ground pistachios, pressing the pistachios onto the meat, until fully coated.
- Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet just large enough to hold the tenderloin until smoking hot. Place the tenderloin in the skillet and sear on all sides for 1 – 2 minutes or until browned. Place the skillet into the preheated oven and cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Temperature on an instant read thermometer should be 145 degrees for medium (still pink on the inside) and 160 degrees for well done.
- Remove from the oven, place the tenderloin on a serving platter and let rest for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
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Oh the pressure. What a beautiful meal that would impress everyone I know.
I love the idea of using pistachios and cranberries! And I know what you mean, pork tenderloin has been my go-to meal when my in-laws come in town over the past couple of years, because with a toddler and a baby running around, it was the fastest and yet 'gourmet'-ist thing I could come up with on very little sleep. :) But I never made it as exciting as yours sounds.
YUM this sounds divine Carol! I've always loved stuffed or rolled roasts they always look so pretty!
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This dish is delicious. Thanks for the great recipe. It has become part of my regular rotation of main dishes.
Thanks Lacey, so happy you enjoy it as much as we do!
Thanks so much for a great recipe. I make it for special guests a few times a year. I have made an adaptation though. I buy the most economical pork – whole pork loins at Costco and then chop them into 2x 2-3 lb chunks plus smaller pieces for when I want a small amount of cubed pork or slices. I roll out the 2-3lb loin with extra cutting instead of a simple butterfly and treat it exactly like your recipe says, except to bake a lot longer because it’s so fat.
Thanks Janice! I’m happy you like it! :)