Pork Roast Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta, and Spinach

This savory Pork Roast Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta and Spinach brings Mediterranean deliciousness. To begin, loads of spices create a rub that infuses this meat with a rich depth of flavor. The center overflows with spinach, roasted red peppers, feta cheese and garlic which make for not only an amazing healthy main dish but a beautiful presentation on your table at any gathering.

A Healthy Start to the New Year

This Pork Loin Roast Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta, and Spinach is the perfect meal to begin a fresh healthy pursuit in this New Year. After all the sugar I've consumed over this holiday season, my body is desperately craving “the healthier side of life."

Don’t get me wrong, I do love all the holiday menus, the overabundance of goodies, delicious cocktails, and the unending parties. Treasured memories are created during this time with a fresh appreciation for old and new relationships in my life. I would NOT change a thing in how I indulged with friends and family over the holidays. For me, it's time well spent! But now, the time has come to get back on track.

Choosing the Right Cut of Meat to Stuff this Roast

There are two cuts of meat that many people think are interchangeable in recipes when it comes to pork roasts - the pork loin and the pork tenderloin. But there are major differences in these two.

Pork loin and tenderloin do not even come from the same part of the animal and have very little similarities. The pork tenderloin is small and thin which makes stuffing this cut more difficult. The pork loin is larger and thicker which once butterflied can be packed with an array of yummy ingredients. A boneless pork loin is what this recipe calls for.

BUTTERFLYING a Boneless PORK LOIN

With the fat side of the roast up, use a long sharp boning or serrated knife and cut horizontally lengthwise into the roast but not through it. You will want to stop about ½-1 inch short. Open up the roast like turning the page of a book and, there, you have successfully butterflied your roast. Lay the butterflied pork (open and fat side down) between several pieces of parchment paper and pound the roast with a meat mallet or a rolling pin for an even thickness.

If you would like to have a more circular rolled stuffed roast, you can create a thinner and longer portion of meat by cutting while you roll the roast out. You can check out this YouTube link here to see how to accomplish that. I chose a one-cut open book butterfly because it is simpler and in my opinion just as beautiful.

Adding a Spice Rub infuses the meat with wonderful flavor

Fresh herbs and spices are rubbed on all sides of this roast to give fabulous flavor to the meat itself. After I apply the rub I let the flavors permeate for 24 hours before I stuff it. The dimension this adds to the finished "chef-d'oeuvre" or masterpiece, as I call it, is well worth the wait.

Pull the roast out of the refrigerator around 30 minutes before you're ready to stuff it. Then by the time you prepare it for cooking, it will have come to room temperature. In this way, you'll take the chill off the meat so that it will be juicier and cook more evenly throughout. 

Pork Roast Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta Cheese and Spinach

Now, this is where all the magic happens! When it comes to stuffing this roast, I tend to always "overstuff." My philosophy is "the more the merrier." So I load this up with fresh spinach, roasted red peppers, and feta cheese. But before I get to that stage, I spread a good amount of minced garlic on the cut side of the meat. In my opinion, garlic makes any savory dish 100% BETTER!

Rolling up the Roast and Keeping all the Goodies in tack

Since I tend to overload the inside with all these goodies, rolling it up and keeping them inside can be a little tricky. But believe me, I manage to cram everything. If any of that yumminess tries to escape though, it gets my full "stuffing" attention. None of the spinach, roasted red peppers or feta cheese is found lying around outside this roast once I'm done with it.

Tying a Stuffed Pork Loin

With all that deliciousness inside now, you want to be able to keep it contained. The best way to accomplish this is by tying the stuffed roast with kitchen twine. If you've never done this before, it initially looks quite complicated. But honestly, it's very easy and doesn't take much time at all. I have included a YouTube video to help instruct you.

Cooking this Pork Loin Stuffed with Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers and Feta Cheese

Since we're not searing this roast before it goes in the oven, I started out with a high temperature of 450°F (uncovered) for 10 minutes to get a good browning on it. I then tented the roast with foil and turned down the oven to 325°F. At this point, I let it cook for about 45 minutes with an instant-read thermometer showing 140°F in the thickest part of the meat. 

Is "pink" Pork safe to eat?

It used to be everyone was afraid to eat pork that was still pink inside. That's just not the case anymore. Not only is it safe, but it is much more tender and juicy this way. Overcooked pork becomes dry, tough and loses much of its flavor. That's why you pull it out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches 140°F. And of course, let it rest for 10 minutes under foil to make sure all the juices stay in.

I wish you could smell the fragrant aromas lingering in my kitchen from this delectable pork roast right now. Oh, the flavors, the textures and the beauty that awaits you if you decide to cook this lovely baby. Please leave a comment in the space below, as I would love to hear from you.

If you're looking for more main dish recipes, check these out:

Fruit Stuffed Pork Loin

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Pan-Seared Salmon with Fruit Salsa

Chicken in White Wine Sauce with Vegetables

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