Mushroom Stuffed Pork Roast with a Balsamic Wine Reduction in Cartoon

Blogger's Note:  If you are wondering what happened to the braciole and the Cabbage Pasta recipes, well... I had a little technological glitch; more like blonde operator error.  I recently went up on the "new" blogger interface.  I was playing around with a few things this weekend and... whoops - delete! 

Fortunately, I could recover the braciole from a cached copy.  However, the pasta, I was not so lucky.  If you are looking for that recipe, please email me and I'll send it to you.



Mushroom Stuffed Pork Roast
with a Balsamic Wine Reduction

I think I'm a pretty good home cook and a creative recipe writer.  Many of you who frequent my blog have told me that you come for the creative ways that I put meals together, and I appreciate that. 

Dan and Me in Savannah, 2010, all Avatar-Like
PS - Before I lost more weight...
I also hated my hair back then.  LOL!

When it comes to plating, I often feel like the the William Hung of the blogger world.  Remember that guy on American Idol a few years ago who tried to sing like Ricky Martin?  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RrLQUN8UJg

When I teach presentation skills, I often tell my students to "state the obvious."  Like William, I will do just that.

I've had no formal training in plating food. 

Yeah, okay, Mary Kay.

On the flip side of where is the reality in life - I actually read a chef's post the other day and she said, "If the food looks excellent, it doesn't have to be that good." 

Really?  Really? 

As I said last week in my less-than-perfectly rolled chicken stuffed cabbage post, I get the whole "eat with your eyes thing."  Yes, plating is important and I do respect the whole food styling industry.  I want to learn how to do it properly.  I aspire to be you some day but... ummm... remind me not to go to that chef's restaurant. 

Nuff said. 

Tonight's recipe  is another rolled meat dish.  I love meat.  I like rolled meat dishes. 

I think I did okay with the plating.  I mastered the "clock" technique.  You know, put the meat at 2 and the starch at 10 and whatever green at 6.    In hindsight, I should have steamed the baby carrots and zucchini instead of roasting so the carrots, especially, would have that cute green root thingy on top. 

However, these are fantastic roasted.   I highly recommend it.  ;.) 

Seriously, the chef-y plating attempt aside, this dish is wonderful.  It's roasted center cut pork, stuffed with mushroom, rosemary, ground sage and a mixture of bread crumbs and cheese.   I served it with a simple balsamic wine reduction.

Yes, this is animated, too. 
Attack of the GIANT carrot!

If you like this recipe, make it and then send me a picture via email of how you plated it (no attachments - please send the picture in the email).  My email address is under the contact tab.  You just might make a food stylist out of me yet, my friends.
So, to make a long-winded blog short, since I'm still learning and I wasn't happy with tonight's pictures, I decided to bring them to you in cartoon.  HA!
Just think of this as an animated version of what could be on your plate.


Mushroom Stuffed Pork Roast
with a Balsamic Wine Reduction


For the Pork and Stuffing
1 - 2 pound Center Cut Pork Roast, butterflied
2 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
1 tablespoon Butter
1 cup thinly sliced Mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground Sage
1 6 ounce Package KRAFT Fresh Take Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Recipe*
1 tablespoon Philadelphia Brand Savory Garlic Cooking Creme
Italian Seasoning, to taste
Lawry's Season Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste


For the Sauce
Pan Drippings
1/4 cup dry Red Wine
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoons Philadelphia Brand Savory Garlic Cooking Creme

Other:  Butcher's Twine


Preheat oven to 365 degrees.

Add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a skillet.  Melt butter in pan with oil.  Saute mushrooms until browned.  Add the rosemary and the sage to the mushrooms.  Remove from heat and cool.

Add remaining olive oil to the KRAFT breadcrumb and cheese mixture.  Fold in cooked mushrooms.  Add one tablespoon of the cooking cream.  Mix.   You should have a tight, almost paste texture to the mixture.

Spread mixture on butterflied pork roast.  Roll roast and secure with butcher's twine.
Rub roast with Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.  Add roast to roasting pan with rack, fat side up. 

Note:  Root vegetables can be added to the pan with the roast if making. 

Bake rolled roast for one hour.

For the Sauce:

Add wine to pan drippings and deglaze.  Add Balsamic, the butter and stir in the cooking cream.  Reduce for one minute over medium heat, stirring constantly. 

Plate sauce with roast.