There are few things more divine to the taste buds than sundried tomatoes and goat cheese. I had a few pork tenderloins thawing in the refrigerator on a weeknight, and needed to devise a plan to utilize them.

At Costco, you can buy a package where there are two packs with two smaller tenderloins in each one.  I usually break them up into 4 packages and freeze them to use separately.  Brian did the purchasing this time and froze two to a package, so we had two nights in a row of pork tenderloin. Time to get a bit imaginative.

This a pretty easy grilled dinner that has fantastic results.  I also grilled CSA broccoli on the side that I had tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.  We finished out the meal with a loaf of french bread grilled on the top rack.

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin (will feed 2 adults and 2 small children)
1 small package of goat cheese
Sundried tomato spread
Garlic salt
Italian seasoning Pepper

Sundried tomato spread:
1 small jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1-2 TBSP tomato paste
2 crushed garlic cloves
Basil and parsley, either fresh, dried or frozen
Salt and pepper

This winter I found frozen cubes of herbs at Costco.  The best find EVER.  That is what I used in this recipe, but you can used dried or fresh, too.  About a TBSP or so of each would work. Take the tomatoes out of the oil and throw in a food processor.  I wanted the garlic to be a little cooked, so I put a little of the tomato oil in a microwave safe glass measuring cup and cooked for about 30 seconds.  I had to unthaw my herbs, so I put them in there with the garlic and oil for another 15 seconds.  Put all the remaining ingredients into the food processor and pulse until it is into a nice spread consistency with no big pieces of sundried tomato.

20130816_1400

Take the pork tenderloin and filet it so it can be stuffed.  To filet it, take a sharp knife.  Cut it 1/3 of the way from the top all along the edge until you have about a 1/2 inch to an inch of edge.  Then do this again from the inside edge going to the lower 1/3 of the tenderloin.  You are trying to get it to lay flat.  Once it is filleted, take a meat mallet, put wax paper over the top of the meat and pound it flatter. Spread the sundried tomato spread along the entire piece, leaving a good inch of edging.  Then put the goat cheese along one side.  That side will be the innermost piece as you roll it up.

20130816_1402

Use butchers twine or toothpicks to secure it once it is all rolled up.  Season the outside with the garlic salt, Italian seasoning and pepper. Grill on a medium hot grill for about 30-45 minutes, turning occasionally.  You want the internal temperature to be at least 145 degrees, and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes before cutting it open. You could use the sundried tomato spread and goat cheese across two tenderloin filets, or just one that is pretty stuffed. Also, get as much oil out of the tomatoes as you can.  It will leak out and drip in your grill as it cooks, which tends to cause a bit of a fire to flare up if you aren’t careful.

When stuffing tenderloins with cheese, it will leak out a bit.  You really need to watch to make sure you aren’t setting it over too hot of a flame so it comes boiling out of the meat.  I try not to let the seam go to the bottom of the grill grate or else it just all leaks out, and what would the point of stuffing it be if I lost it all??

I made this again for my parents and sister.  It met with their approval!

20130816_1404