Rosemary-Scented Pork Loin Stuffed With Roasted Garlic, Dried Apricots and Cranberries

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 16 whole peeled garlic cloves

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves

• 1 (8 pound) whole boneless pork loin, patted dry, at room temperature

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (snip with scissors), divided

• 16 dried apricots (or similar amount of your favorite dried fruit)

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4 cup apple jelly

• 1/4 cup port

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons apple jelly

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position & heat oven to 250 degrees; Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add whole garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; reserve oil.

2. Turn pork loin fat-side down. Slit lengthwise, almost but not quite all the way through, to form a long pocket, leaving a 1/2-inch border of un-slit meat at each end. Brush cavity with some of the reserved garlic cooking oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and 1 Tb. of the rosemary. Line cavity with sautéed garlic and apricots; sprinkle in cranberries. Tie loin together with kitchen twine or heavy-duty string at 1 1/2-inch intervals.

3. Brush with remaining oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Set roast, fat-side up, diagonally or curved (so it fits) on a large, lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Warm 1/4 cup apple jelly along with the minced garlic and remaining rosemary; brush mixture onto meat.

4. Roast until a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 125-130 degrees.(Start checking at about 1 1/2 hours.) Remove from oven; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush loin with pan drippings, return to oven, and continue to roast until the loin is golden brown and a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 155 to 160 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. For even more attractive coloring, broil until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Let roast rest 15-20 minutes; transfer to a carving board. Stir juices around pan to loosen brown bits. Pour through a strainer into a small pan, and stir in port, chicken broth and remaining 2 Tbs. of jelly; bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water; whisk into sauce. Simmer until lightly thickened. Slice pork and serve with a little sauce.