Stuffed Pork Roast; Vote For Me and I'll Set You Free

As far as I'm concerned the most damning word that can appear on a ballot is incumbent.

Politically speaking, Crabby considers himself a moderate but indifferent anarchist. If I were to have a slogan for my political approach it would be: "Vote the bums out before they can screw up any more". Of course, each side thinks their bum does a good job, and it's only the other bums who are messing things up.

Sure.

I can hear you all now, "But Crabby, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are saddling up, Global Warming, Economic Meltdown, War & Famine are about to ride roughshod over us all, how can you be so glib?". It's not that I don't care what happens politically, but ultimately a choice of candidate seems to come down to which pocket I want my money taken from.

But here's the irony, as disenfranchised and cynical as Crabby is, I still love the process. I still pay attention to what the candidates say, I still vote every election. I still, may Neptune have mercy on my claws, believe in the system.

So, with Tuesday fast approaching, please get out and vote. I don't care which party you support, I don't care which candidate you think will lead us out of this particular wilderness. I do care that you speak your mind using your ballot. Remember, if you don't vote, you've got no right to complain.

As we approach the apex of the political season, what better meal to prepare than some overstuffed pork. In the spirit of full disclosure, (Crabby does not want to become the subject of some political hatchet job) there was supposed to be a mustard cream sauce with this meal, but it was disastrous, (too much mud-slinging I guess). So enjoy...


Pork Loin Stuffed with Apples, Apricots and Dried Cherries
by Crabby

2 pound Pork Loin Roast
1 Tart Apple, such as Granny Smith, diced
1/3 cup diced dried apricots (prunes also work well)
1/3 cup diced dried tart cherries (raisins may be substituted)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup Calvados
1 TBSP Butter
Salt & Pepper

In a medium sized bowl, combine the apple, apricots, cherries, brown sugar, cinnamon and Calvados. Mix well and refrigerate for as long as possible up to 24 hours, (if you only have an hour, go for it, but the longer the flavors have to combine, the better).

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Remove your pork loin roast from the refrigerator and place flat on a cutting board. Note: many supermarkets/butchers sell pork loin roast, netted with two pieces of loin wrapped together. This is NOT what you want. You want a single piece approximately 2 inches high in the center, four inches wide and six to eight inches long.

Holding a chef's knife horizontally (parallel to the cutting surface), make an incision into the pork roast at the center of the loin. Repeat from the other side. You do not want to cut the loin in half, you want to form a pocket inside the meat. Set aside.

Remove the fruit mixture from the refrigerator. Over medium-high heat melt the tablespoon of butter in a small saute pan. When the butter stops foaming, add the fruit mixture and cook until slightly softened, approximately 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool for ten minutes.

Now using a wooden spoon, though I find my hands do a better job, stuff both incisions with fruit mixture. Try and get as much of the fruit in as possible, while minimizing the amount that falls out of the ends of the roast.

Place stuffed pork loin in a roasting pan and bake for one hour. After an hour, remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and lightly cover with foil, allowing the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.


There you go crablings, both candidates are promising "change", just don't expect any back from your tax dollar. In the meantime prepare your own "pork-barrel" meal and remember, you can do it, you can cook.