Stuffed Pork Tenderloins with Bacon and Apple-Riesling Sauce

• Recipe by Debra Whiting

Debra Whiting, the chef and co-owner of Red Newt Winery Bistro in New York's Finger Lakes, loves the fresh goat cheese from the local Lively Run Dairy so much that she always works it into her dinner menu. Here, she mixes the cheese with apple, sausage and greens, then stuffs it inside a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. To balance the richness of the cheese, look for a wine with good acidity, like a dry or semi-dry New York Riesling. For a dry bottling, go with Red Newt's peachy 2004; for something slightly sweet, try the soft, melony 2005 Treleaven Semi-Dry.

Ingredients

PORK

1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1/4 cup minced onion
3. 1/4 pound pork breakfast sausage, casings removed
4. 1 Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and cut into 1/3-inch dice
5. 1 garlic clove, minced
6. 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
7. 1/2 teaspoon chopped sage
8. 1/2 cup finely chopped collard greens (2 large leaves, stemmed)
9. 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
10. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
11. Two 1-pound pork tenderloins
12. 6 slices of bacon

SAUCE

1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 garlic clove, minced
3. 1 Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and cut into 1/3-inch dice
4. 3/4 cup apple cider
5. 1/2 cup dry Riesling
6. 1/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
7. 1/2 teaspoon chopped sage
8. 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
9. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. PREPARE THE PORK: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the apple, garlic, thyme and sage and cook until the apple just begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the collard greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the goat cheese and season the stuffing with salt and pepper.
2. Light a grill. Using a long, thin knife and beginning at a thick end, cut a 1-inch-wide pocket through the center of each pork tenderloin; use the handle of a wooden spoon to widen the pocket if necessary. Fill the pork tenderloins with the stuffing, poking it in with the wooden spoon. Season the tenderloins with salt and pepper and wrap the bacon strips securely around them; try to cover any exposed stuffing with the bacon.
3. Grill the pork tenderloins over moderately high heat, turning four times, until browned on every side, about 25 minutes, or the internal temperature reaches 140. Transfer the pork tenderloins to a cutting board, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE SAUCE: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the apple, cider, Riesling, chicken stock, sage and thyme and simmer until the apple softens, about 7 minutes. Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the sauce back into the saucepan and boil until it coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Slice the pork tenderloins crosswise about 1 inch thick and arrange on plates. Spoon the Apple-Riesling Sauce around the meat and serve.

Make Ahead

The bacon-wrapped, stuffed tenderloins and finished apple-riesling sauce can be refrigerated separately overnight. Bring the tenderloins to room temperature before grilling.