Rosemary-Scented Roast Pork Loin Stuffed with Roasted Garlic Dried Apricots and Cranberries with Port Wine Sauce Recipe

How to make it

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• Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and 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 and set aside; reserve oil.
• Turn pork loin fat side down. Insert point of a sharp knife 1/2 inch from one end and make a lengthwise incision in pork, stopping 1/2 inch before other end, cutting almost but not quite through, to form a long pocket.
• Brush pocket with some garlic oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with 1 Tbl of the rosemary. Stuff pocket with whole garlic cloves and apricots and sprinkle in cranberries. Tie loin together at 1 1/2-inch intervals with a butcher's twine.
• Brush roast with remaining garlic oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Set pork loin on a large rimmed baking sheet or jelly-roll pan, placing it on a diagonal and slightly curving it to fit.
• Warm 1/4 cup apple jelly, minced garlic, and remaining 2 Tbl. rosemary in small saucepan. Brush mixture all over roast.
• Roast until an instant-read thermometer stuck into center registers 125 to 130 degrees; start checking after 1 1/2 hours. Remove roast from oven and increase oven temp. to 400 degrees. Brush loin with pan drippings, return to oven and continue to roat until golden brown and a thermometer stuck into center registers 155 to 160 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. For even more attractive coloring, turn oven to broil and cook until spotty brown, about 3 to 5 minutes longer. Let roast rest for 15 -20 minutes, then transfer to a carving board.
• Stir pan juices to loosen as many browned bits as possible, then strain into a small saucepan. Stir in port, chicken broth, and remaining 2 Tbl. jelly and bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with 2 Tbl. cold water. Whick into sauce and continue to simmer, whisking, until lightly thickened.
• Cut pork into slices, and spoon a Tbl. or so of sauce over each servining. Serve immediately.