Name: Christmas rolled roast pork loin with apple and thyme
Cook time: 130 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 8-10
Ingredients: 3kg pork loin with rind, untied; Ground sea salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; Roast new potatoes, to serve; Stuffing; 3 small pink lady apples (400g); 75g butter; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 tbsp chopped thyme; Salt & cracked black pepper; Gravy; ¼ cup plain flour; 2 cups chicken stock; 2 tsp soy sauce

For Wendy Moore, Christmas is all about family with a relaxed but elegant lunch the perfect way to celebrate. To keep things simple, a roast is a delicious addition to the holiday table with this rolled pork loin crispy and beautifully seasoned with an apple and thyme stuffing. Serve with roast potatoes and a side of salad to complete your Christmas feast.

Rolled roast pork loin recipe Wendy Moore Christmas — “It’s a bit of a family tradition for Mum to cook the pork the night before, and for us to eat the pork crackling on Christmas Eve while it’s still hot,” Wendy says. *(Photography: Cath Muscat/The Interiors Edit / Styling: Imogene Abady)*

Ingredients

3kg pork loin with rind, untied

Ground sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Roast new potatoes, to serve

Stuffing

3 small pink lady apples (400g)

75g butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp chopped thyme

Salt & cracked black pepper

Gravy

¼ cup plain flour

2 cups chicken stock

2 tsp soy sauce

Method

Place pork, rind-side down, on a clean surface. Trim any excess fat from underside. Cut a 2cm cavity between fat and fillet. Turn pork over and score rind at 2cm intervals or into a diamond pattern with the tip of a very sharp knife. Place pork, rind-side up on a tray. Sprinkle with salt and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight.

Pat moisture off the rind with paper towel.

To make stuffing, cut apples into eighths, remove core. Heat half the butter in a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining butter to same pan. Add apple wedges. Cook until beginning to soften and colour. Stir through thyme. Add to onions in bowl, season and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 230°C (210°C fan-forced). Place pork rind-side down. Place apple mixture along cavity. Roll up firmly and secure at regular intervals with kitchen string. Rub oil over pork. Grind salt all over rind.

Place in a large roasting dish and roast for 30 minutes or until rind becomes golden and has crackled. Reduce temperature to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Transfer to a platter, cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes.

To make gravy, scrape any pan juices from roasting dish into a large jug. Skim fat. Combine flour with ¼ cup of juices to form paste. Whisk in remaining pan juices, stock and soy. Pour into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil, whisking until thickened.

Serve pork carved with roast potatoes and gravy.

“Leave the crackling in the oven for a bit longer than you think – and use a lot of salt.”
Wendy

Rolled pork loin with apple and thyme and a bean salad on a white Christmas tablescape. — Serving platters and glassware from Suzie Anderson Home. *(Photography: Cath Muscat/The Interiors Edit / Styling: Imogene Abady)*

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Recipe Kerrie Worner

With over 20 years in magazines, Kerrie’s work has adorned HB’s pages as contributing food editor, along with BHG, Elle Cuisine, Australian Women’s Weekly and Family Circle. “It is so important to encourage people to learn simple food skills so they can learn how easy it is to fall in love with their creative side,” she says.