Grilled stuffed pork roast

 

Makes 10 servings

• 1 pork roast (about 3½ pounds), chine bone removed

Stuffing ingredients

• One-third cup ruby port
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ cup dried cherries, pitted
• ½ cup dried apricot halves, slivered
• ½ cup chopped pistachios

Basting sauce ingredients

• ½ cup ruby port
• 1 can/5½ ounces apricot nectar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• Pinch black pepper

1. Prepare grill or preheat oven to 350F ; oil grid or broiler pan rack.

Stuffing

1. Heat port, brown sugar and cardamom in small saucepan to boiling ; remove from heat.
2. Add cherries and apricots, pressing down into port ; let stand 15 minutes and stir in pistachios.

Basting sauce

1. Combine port, nectar, vinegar, cardamom and salt in small saucepan ; bring to boiling.
2. Lower heat ; simmer until reduced to one-third cup, about 10 minutes and stir in sage and pepper.

Stuffing process

1. Trim any excess fat from pork.
2. Using long, narrow sharp knife, make horizontal slit from one end into center of roast ; twist knife to make opening and repeat from other end.
3. Stir stuffing to combine.
4. Push stuffing into slits, working from both ends ; use narrow handle end of wooden spoon to help distribute stuffing into middle of roast.

Cooking method Grill

1. Pour 1 cup water into rectangular metal pan ; move coals to side of grill and place pan in center under grid.
2. Grill pork roast 5 inches above medium-hot coals over pan, covered with dome, for 1½ hours or until instant-read thermometer registers 160F ; replace and bank coals as necessary.
3. Coals will cool down to medium-low.
4. Baste roast occasionally with basting sauce during the last 20 minutes ; let roast stand 10 minutes before carving.

Cooking method Oven

1. Put 1 cup water into bottom of broiler pan.
2. Place roast on broiler pan rack ; roast in preheated oven for 1¾ hours or until instant-read thermometer registers 160F.
3. Baste roast with basting sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking, brushing every 10 minutes ; let roast stand 10 minutes before carving.

BON APPÉTIT