Jalapeño Pork Stuffing to Die For

I love being a Foodie! It's quite possibly one of the best parts of my weekend; whether it's cooking on the charcoal grill, in the old Bradly smoker, or simply inside on stove top or oven. I find foodie creations an excellent stress-relief valve and a pleasure to do. I simply do not view cooking as a chore; rather it's a blessing in which for a short while, I can lose myself in culinary experiments that give me much joy. Some turn out; others not so much. But it doesn't matter because I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I'm learning, and most important, I get much satisfaction from it.

A couple days ago I took my culinary passion in a new direction, in that I experimented with a stuffing mix for a pork loin. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but such is the nature of the Foodie; forget the recipes, and play with your ideas. Once again, I would not be disappointed.

The experiment began with a pork loin roast of about three pounds in weight. It was seasoned on all sides with Keg brand chicken and rib seasoning. The loin was cut through the long side to a depth of about 2/3. The inside was then seasoned as well.

Next it was time to make the soon-to-be-famous, "Will's Stuffing."

For this concoction I took one large jalapeño pepper, finely chopped, seeds and all. About 1/4 of a medium onion was also finely chopped and added to the same bowl. Next came approximately 3 heaping tablespoons of Philadelphia brand jalapeño cream cheese, followed by approximately a 1/4 cup of Cracker Barrel Habanero Monterey Jack shredded cheese. Finally, a liberal sprinkling of about an 1/8 of a cup of processed bacon bits. These were all blended together into a paste using a hand blender.

Next on the docket it was time to spread the paste generously into the opening of the pork loin. The loin was then tied together with string.

Apple juice was then injected into the pork loin in several spots. Oh, I could almost taste it now!

Finally, the loin found its way into a roasting pan with some chicken broth to help maintain the moisture. It was covered in foil and placed into an oven preheated to about 300F. The original plan for this pork loin was to cook it outside on the charcoal grill, but high winds and an uncomfortably cold snowy winter day, forced a chickening out on my part, and a resignation to inside cooking.

Still, when all was said and done, Mama raved about the dinner her favourite husband created, so all was good. Some might no doubt think the stuffing too spicy, but the apple juice injections seemed to offset that rather nicely, without completely removing that much-loved spicy flavour. Also, when topped with some of my wife's awesome homemade applesauce, well, the word "ecstasy" just got redefined.

In the words of Virginia Woolf,

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

Well there you have it, my fellow foodies; dine well.

We will definitely be trying this one again. Happy eating.

Cheers.