Grilled Whole Pork Loin – Stuffed with Pears and Apples
Looking for a recipe to feed the whole herd? We’ve got it! It’s a full flavored stuffed pork loin and it will melt in your mouth. It’s got some classic fall flavors going on with apples, pears, nutmeg and fresh sage. You may even want to add this to your holiday menu! Today we’re showing you how to prepare and grill a whole pork loin. Today we’re using about a 6 pound loin, and the reason we chose this is because it’s such a versatile cut of meat and you can do so many things with it. It’s also an inexpensive cut that will feed a bunch of folks and is a perfect holiday dish.
Cut and Marinade the Meat
Cut the loin at about 3/4-inch unrolling it.
First off we have to cut and unroll this loin. I like to start about 3/4-inch from the bottom and start the cut. Cut all the way down the length of the loin. Then slightly unroll and keep doing this until you come to the end of the loin. Check out our video below to see how we cut this hog! The biggest tip I can give you, folks, is don’t cut your finger and don’t cut a hole in this pork loin because we don’t want any of the stuffing to fall out. Once you have it all unrolled, I like to rub lime juice all over it to tenderize. Lime juice will not change the flavor of meat, but it’s going to break down the muscle tissue. Now, sprinkle on a little meat tenderizer followed by your seasoning choice. You know me, I’m going to use our Red River Ranch Original. Flip the loin over and repeat on the opposite side.
Season the pork loin on both sides but heavier on the outside.
I’m actually going to season the outside of this loin a little heavier than the inside, since we’re going to stuff the inside with more flavor. At this point go ahead and roll the pork back up, cover it and place it in the icebox for at least 4 hours.
Put Together the Filling
While that’s marinating guess what… it’s time to put together all that filling that’s really going to make this hog squeal! I’ve got 3 Granny Smith apples and 2 Bartlett pears that I have peeled and cored. Then I like to thinly slice them. Go ahead and throw them in a saucepan with 1/2 stick of butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. You want to cook them over a medium heat just until the apples begin to get tender, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to cook them too long or they’ll become too mushy.
Cook the filling till it’s tender.
Stuff and Tie the Pork Loin
Be sure and take the pork out of the icebox about 20 minutes before grilling to let it warm a bit. Unroll it so it lays flat. With a slotted spoon, dip out the apples and pears and evenly spread down the middle of the loin. I like to pour 2 – 3 tablespoons of the leftover butter juice over top too.
Put the stuffing right down the middle.
Sprinkle the top of the fruit with 3 tablespoons of finely chopped sage. Next you’re going to lightly sprinkle the top with cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste. Nutmeg can be a bit overpowering to me, so sprinkle to your liking. Start at the long edge of the loin and begin rolling up tightly, like a cinnamon roll. Roll and tuck as you go. Now, y’all know if you don’t tie a hog up he’s going to get away from you! We’re going to take some butcher string and lasso this hog up. I like to use the half-hitch tie and go all the way down the loin. Tie it in a knot at the top and then space it about an inch or so with the half hitch. Check out our video below to see this knot in action!
Grill the Stuffed Loin
Start grilling the loin on an indirect heat.
To give this hog even more flavor we are going to throw him on the grill. But before you do, be sure you have a spray bottle full of the cherry apple juice which is going to give more flavor and moisture. I have preheated the grill, cleaned it and oiled it. Rake all the coals on to one side of the grill because we want to put the loin on the indirect side of the heat to begin. Give it a generous spray with the juice and then shut the lid. Let it go about 15 minutes. When you check it, you’ll notice it changing colors a bit. Go ahead and roll it over and give it another generous coating of the juice. Shut the lid let it go another 15 minutes still on the indirect heat side.
Keep Rolling the Meat
Keep rolling it every 1-1.5 mins to get that caramel color.
After you’ve had the loin on a total of about 30 minutes, go ahead and rake all the coals out evenly. At this time we’re gonna roll him over and and wet him down really well with the juice. You can check th internal temperature and it should be around 120 degrees F. Go ahead and shut the lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes. From this point on keep the lid open and keep rolling the loin around every couple of minutes. You’re going to grill it until you get a good even darker color and the internal temperature is 145 degrees. F. Every time you roll the pork be sure to generously spray with the juice too. When you get to a out the 145 internal temp degree, remove the loin from the grill and let rest. Normally, you’d want to let pork rest about 3 minutes, but because this is a big ol’ hog we’re going to let is rest closer to 10 minutes. I’m also going to cover it with tinfoil. As it rests the internal temperature will rise a few degrees too. Just remember to remove the string before you dig in… because those are a little hard to chew! Now, it’s time to share! We hope y’all enjoy and we hope this makes its way to your table for a holiday gathering or just a special evening with family and friends.
Watch how to Grill a Whole Stuffed Pork Loin with Apples and Pears
Grilled Whole Pork Loin - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 6 to 6 ½ pound whole pork loin
- Lime juice
- Meat tenderizer
- Red River Ranch Original seasoning or seasoning of your choice
- 3 Granny Smith apples
- 2 Bartlett pears
- ½ stick butter melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves finely chopped
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Apple Cherry Juice
Instructions
- Begin by butterflying the loin and unrolling it until it’s about ¾-inch thick (as seen in the video). Rub with lime juice. Sprinkle on the meat tenderizer and rub in followed by the Red River Ranch Original. Repeat on the opposite side. Cover and place in the icebox for about 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, peel and core the apples and pears. Thinly slice and place them in a saucepan with the butter. Stir in the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, just until the apples begin to soften (about 8 - 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- About 20 minutes before grilling, remove the pork loin from the icebox.
- With a slotted spoon, add the fruit mixture down the middle of the loin (down the longest side). Pour about 2 tablespoons or so of the leftover butter on top.
- Sprinkle the sage on top of the apple mixture. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste.
- Begin on the longest side, and tightly roll up the loin. Tie one end tightly with the Butcher’s string. Proceed to use a half-hitch up to loin to secure (as seen in the video).
- Move all the coals on to one end of the grill. Place the loin on the indirect side of the heat. Add the apple cherry juice to a spray bottle and spray the loin generously. Close the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
- Open the lid and flip the loin over. Generously spray again with the juice. Close the lid and cook an additional 15 minutes.
- Rake the coals so they are evenly distributed and so the loin is over direct heat. Rotate the loin again and spray generously with the juice. Shut the lid and grill for 5 minutes.
- Keep the lid open and continue rotating the loin about a quarter turn every few minutes, basting frequently with the juice, until it is an even grilled color and the internal temperature is 145 degrees F.
