This impressive yet simple Tapenade Stuffed Pork Roulade is easily accomplished with just two items - boneless pork loin and prepared tapenade! It’s gluten-free, dairy free and completely delicious.
THIS POST IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FLORA FINE FOODS. I RECEIVED PRODUCT IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW, BUT ALL CONTENT, WORDS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS POST ALSO CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. IF YOU MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH A LINK I PROVIDE, I GET A SMALL COMMISSION WHICH DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR PRICE OR PURCHASE EXPERIENCE AT ALL. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE CHEERFUL KITCHEN!
I’m going to be completely honest with you - I’m more generally concerned with taste over appearance. Meaning, even though I always strive to make food that tastes amazing, sometimes my food does not actually LOOK that amazing, and I’m usually fine with that. I like family style plates, hearty soups and stews and nourishing snacks that I can throw together in minutes.
None of these things are what you think of when you imagine restaurant quality, Instagram worthy, drool when you look at them plates of food.
However, I like to impress when the occasion calls for it! And this Tapenade Stuffed Pork Roulade looks so impressive. Yes sir, it definitely looks like I spent a lot of time preparing the elements, rolling it just right, baking it with a careful eye…
You want to know a secret? Come close.
It’s so easy to make this! And since I used a prepared tapenade from Flora Fine Foods, the ingredient list only had two things on it. I mean, minus the salt and pepper, but who counts those?
For this amazing Tapenade Stuffed Pork Roulade, I used two different kind of tapenade: classic Olive Tapenade and Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta Tapenade. Either of these delicious spreads can be used in a many different ways, and stuffed pork is just one of your mouth watering options.
What is a Roulade?
Roulade is just a fancy way of saying roll. Actually, it’s a French word meaning “to roll”. There can be savory roulades, like this Tapenade Stuffed Pork Roulade, or there can be sweet roulades. If you watch The Great British Baking Show, and maybe even if you don’t, you’ll know the classic example of a sweet roulade, which is a Swiss Roll.
The most important feature of a roulade is that when you cut it into slices, you MUST see that swirl of filling through the middle. This is accomplished by spreading a layer of filling over your food canvas that is neither too thick nor too thin. If it’s too thick the filling will all squish out when you roll it up or you won’t be able to roll it enough to accomplish the swirl, and if it’s too thin, I mean, what’s even the point?
How to Make Tapenade Stuffed Pork Roulade
- Butterfly your pork loin.
- First, slice the pork lengthwise, like you’re going to cut it in half but stop short about ¼ inch from the bottom. Open the halves, laying pork flat.
- Then you are going to take your knife and, starting from the center and moving toward the edge, slice each half in half again thickness wise, cutting to but not through the end, so that your pork loin is now longer and thinner than when you made your first cut and opened it up.
- Open your newly cut ends so the pork is flat. At this point you could cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy pan until it is an even thickness all the way across, but my pork loins were on the small side and pretty thin already, so I skipped this step.
There is a slightly different approach with pictures to go along with it on The Black Peppercorn. Head on over there if you need a little extra help!
2. Spread your tapenade.
3. Roll the pork.
Using clean hands, begin rolling the pork loin in on itself from one side lengthwise. You want to roll it tight enough to get a visual spiral, but not so tight that you squeeze all the filling out.
4. Tie off with kitchen twine.
5. Bake, rest, slice and serve!
To keep the entire meal grain-free and gluten-free I decided to serve this with a simple sauteed cauliflower rice. The entire meal is good for you, filled with whole foods and packed with flavor.
Would you make this Tapenade Stuffed Pork Loin for a special occasion with your loved ones or friends? Which flavor would you like to try? Tell me in the comments!
There are a few tools you’ll want to use to make this recipe simple and sweet. Here are my recommendations!
Vanessa at The Cheerful Kitchen
Yields Serves 4
This impressive yet simple Tapenade Stuffed Pork Roulade is easily accomplished with just two items - boneless pork loin and prepared tapenade! It’s gluten-free, dairy free and completely delicious.
15 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
45 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- One 1.25-1.5lb boneless pork loin
- 4 Tablespoons tapenade
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cut 5 ten inch lengths of kitchen twine for later and set aside.
- Butterfly your pork loin (see detailed instructions in the step by step above.)
- Season the inside with salt and pepper.
- Put the tapenade onto the butterflied and seasoned pork loin, and spread into a thin layer using a butter knife or back of a spoon.
- Using clean hands, begin rolling the pork loin in on itself from one side lengthwise. You want to roll it tight enough to get a visual spiral, but not so tight that you squeeze all the filling out.
- Once rolled, set on your cutting board so that it doesn’t come apart.
- Take your lengths of kitchen twine and tie the loin in place tightly at five even intervals. Snip off the ends of the twine with kitchen shears.
- Place the pork loin on a baking sheet and drizzle the top with some olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Turn over and do the same to the other side.
- Place the pork loin in the oven uncovered and bake for 35-45 minutes, until you reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. The size of your pork loin will determine how long it takes to reach this internal temperature. Perfectly cooked pork with be firm to the touch but will still have a slightly pink hue right at the center.
- Remove the pork loin from the oven when done and tent with foil for ten minutes while it rests.
- When rested, cut off the twine and carefully slice into pieces 3/4 inch thick. Drizzle with cooking liquid from the pan and serve with a side of cauliflower rice.
Kathryn W says