Spinach Cornbread Stuffed Pork Loin

Sometimes you just get tired of the normal roasting methods you always use and find yourself wanting to step it up a little. While walking through the meat section of the grocery store this week, my husband and I saw a pork loin and decided to try a stuffed loin recipe. We used a stuffing similar to that use for Cornbread Stuffed Chicken, but with a few changes. This recipe turned out great! What I really like is that all of the prep can be done ahead and then you can leave it wrapped in the refrigerator for a few days until you are ready to cook. I served this with a medley of roasted vegetables.


Ingredients-
For the Filling:
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Finely Diced Sweet Yellow Onion
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
2 1/4 Cup Prepared Cornbread (1/2 Recipe Yellow Country Cornbread)
1 Cup Thawed and Drained Frozen Spinach
1 Egg
For the Loin:
3 Pound Pork Loin, Filleted
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Prepared Filling
6 Ounces Center Cut Bacon Strips
Additional:
1 Large Onion, Sliced
Plastic Wrap
Aluminum Foil

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Gently cook until tender; approximately 5 minutes.
2. Crumble the cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Add the onion/butter mixture, drained spinach and egg. Stir to combine.
3. To prepare the loin, run a long knife down the length of the meat without going through the back 1/2 inch of the loin about a third of the height down. Fold the flap open and then repeat going the other direction and folding open. You will have filleted the meat into a pamphlet style. If you have judged the thicknesses correctly, you will have a consistent thickness throughout.
4. Sprinkle the interior of the loin with salt and pepper. Cover the interior with the prepared stuffing, using your hands to press it down.
5. Fold the loin back together, pressing down as you go to get a tight roll.
6. On a large piece of plastic wrap, lay the bacon strips out. Place the rolled loin on the strips. Fold the bacon over the loin and then tightly wrap with plastic.
7. Place the loin in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for 20 minutes on the counter.
Preheat Oven Temperature: 350 degrees
8. In a large roasting pan, place sliced onion in a bed, mounded to be under the cooking loin. Place the loin on top of the onions, seam side down.
9. Tightly cover the roasting pan with foil.
10. Cook the loin for 1 hour, covered. After 1 hour, remove the foil and allow the bacon to crisp; approximately 20 minutes.
11. Check the internal temperature of the loin. When it has reached 165 degrees, remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan while covered by foil for 20 minutes.