Jalapeño Popper Pork Loin
This dish is decadent and rich and oh, so yummy! I make this for a regular, old Wednesday night, but it would be perfect for a special occasion meal or a family, holiday get-together. The red bacon and green jalapeños do have a certain Christmasy-ness to them!
And don’t worry about the spice level of this dish. I do not enjoy spicy things and I like this just fine. I remove all the ribs and seeds from the jalapeños and they end up just adding great flavor and the teeny-tiniest amount of heat. You could certainly substitute bell peppers if you prefer.
Jalapeño Popper Pork Loin
A rich, decadent meal perfect for everyday or company
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lb. center cut pork loin
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. finely ground pepper
- 1 package Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese, plain
- 1 package bacon
- 1 Tbsp. ranch seasoning see note
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese optional, can substitute with nutritional yeast, just use only 1/4 cup and don't sprinkle any on top, only add it to the filling
- 2-3 medium jalepeno peppers or more to taste
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil
Instructions
- Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on paper towels.
- Prep the jalepenos: wearing gloves if you are sensitive to heat, slice the peppers in half and remove the ribs and seeds. Dice finely. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- While bacon cooks, trim all visible fat from the pork. It will not render in cooking so needs to be removed.
- Butterfly the pork by placing the pork on a cutting board and with a clean hand flat on top of the meat, hold a sharp knife parallel to the board and carefully make a lengthwise cut about a third of the way from the bottom, stopping about 1 inch from the opposite end. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Open the loin like a book. Continue the cut, now slicing halfway from the bottom and stopping about 1 inch from the opposite edge. Open that edge as well. You now have one large, evenly flat piece of pork.
- Cover the pork with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound to an even 1/2-1/3 inch thickness. Pat dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond cream cheese, 3/4 of the bacon and all of the ranch seasoning. Spread this mixture evenly over the pork, leaving about a 1 inch border all around. Sprinkle on about 1 cup of the shredded cheddar (if using) and jalepenos.
- Tightly roll the pork loin to enclose the filling. Using kitchen twine, secure the roll.
- Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper on the outside of the pork loin roll.
- Heat a large, oven proof skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. When hot, add the pork loin. Sear each side until nicely browned, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer to hot oven. Roast until the pork loin reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Be sure to test the temperature at the center of the loin, not the edges. Baking will take 30-50 minutes, depending on the size of your pork loin. Mine typically take 45-50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle on the remaining cheese (if using) and remaining crumbled bacon. Bake 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix:
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. dried dill
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. ground mustard
zest of one lemon
Mix all to combine well and store in an old spice jar or other sealed container.