Bourbon Fig + Gorgonzola Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.
You know it’s a good week when I’m talking about pork TWICE.
Obviously.
And it is just going to get better because FIGS SOAKED IN BOURBON.
Yep yep. That’s what those are. Dried figs plumping up by soaking in a bunch of buttery bourbon before being wrapped in pork and smashed together with sage and gorgonzola and… wait for it… ROASTED GARLIC.
This might very well be my if-needed death row meal.
So. Years ago, like many moons ago, I had a client give me a recipe for a fig and blue cheese stuffed pork tenderloin. At the time, I don’t think I had ever tried dried figs and that threw me into the downward spiral obsession with them. I once ate two containers in one day (yeah… not so good) and then snacked on them daily for years. And that was one of the first recipes I ever made for Eddie – we weren’t married or even engaged or anything – and, um, I quickly learned that night that he hated both figs and blue cheese. It was awesome.
But not really.
For the record, he doesn’t anymore. At least not the blue cheese. Figs weird him out. Regardless, that was totally NOT a recipe that impressed.
I, on the other hand, freaking lovvvvved it. The thing was that she handed me the computer-printed recipe on a sheet of paper, which I then semi-destroyed, and then had give back when she asked for it after I covered it in food and a general mess and kept it crumpled in my purse for 34 days.
Most papers end up crumpled in my purse for 34 days. Please tell me this is one of your things too.
Anyway. I had always been a gigantic fan of blue cheese and pork and then the figs came along and well… I’ve thought about it ever since. And I’ve only made my own bastardized version of it a few times, if for the one reason that I CAN NEVER FIND MY KITCHEN TWINE.
Like seriously. I need to go buy a new roll every single time I roast a chicken or tenderloin and uh, hello, why can’t my grocery store just carry it?
Kitchen twine is like… what bobby pins are in my house. I have piles of both but can never find either when needed.
In a straight up emergency, I once used (clean, unused) shoelaces.
In this situation, I used some sort of string that I deemed “twine-able” and found packed in a box back from when we moved in August. It’s true: my life is in shambles at the moment.
This pork tenderloin is crunchy and seasoned on the outside, filled with delicious things on the inside, the meat is tender and wonderful and then the entire thing is drenched in a little glazy glaze. Yesssss.
But now really: perfect holiday meal?! I think so.
Brown Sugar Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 boneless pork tenderloin
- 1 cup dried figs, chopped
- 1 cup bourbon
- 2 heads roasted garlic cloves squeezed out
- 8 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs, like a thyme, rosemary and oregano combo
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick spray.
- Place the pork on a cutting board and get a sharp knife. I like to slice it twice to open it up so I have a lot of space to work with. I start at the bottom of the pork (about 1/4 inch from the bottom) and slice it lengthwise, then continue to cut again and open up the pork. Hereis great tutorial!
- Place the dried figs in a bowl. Heat the bourbon in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it’s simmering, then pour the bourbon over the figs and let them sit for 4 to 5 minutes. In the meantime, spread the roasted garlic cloves out over the inside of the pork. Once the figs have softened a bit, add them on top of the roasted garlic (save the bourbon they sat in!), followed by the crumbled gorgonzola and then sage. Tightly roll up the tenderloin and tie it together with kitchen twine. Season the entire outside with the salt and pepper, the herbs and rub with the brown sugar. Place on the roasting pan or baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the inside is cooked and reads about 140 to 145 degrees. Let the pork rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
- I like to take the bourbon that the fig sat in and combine it with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and reduce it by half in a saucepan over medium heat. I pour it over the pork right before serving!
Did you make this recipe?
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98 Comments on “Bourbon Fig + Gorgonzola Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.”
This looks fabulous! Definitely adding it to my list. I do have one question. You refer to tenderloin throughout the recipe (and the photos look like it), but the ingredients list says you need a pork LOIN. I once made the mistake of using loin for a tenderloin recipe and the results were mediocre at best, given that the two cuts require different cooking methods. So I just want to clarify that you do use a twnderloin….right?
I am wondering the same thing. Loin or tenderloin?
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I made this for NYE dinner and served it with your maple balsamic roasted mushrooms from the cookbook and garlic mashed potatoes. It was awesome! I’m eating the last bit of leftovers for lunch at work right now. Thanks for another great recipe :)
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Do you use a pork tenderloin which weights about 1 pound or a pork loin which weights 3-4 pounds? The title of the recipe says tenderloin but the recipe was made using a pork loin.
Thanks
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This was seriously the most AMAZING dish I’ve made in a long long time. After finishing the leftovers for lunch over the next two days, I’m seriously contemplating making it again in less than a week! And the sauce to top it off- oh my!! It’s sooooooo good! Thank you for sharing such great recipes!
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I can be a bit sceptical about pork because it’s really easy to get wrong… I have a very strange feeling though that your recipe may be very, very right. How can it not be with bourbon in it?!
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Do you think if I made the pork up to the point of putting it in the oven and then left it in the fridge overnight and brought it to room temperature before roasting the next day that would be ok?
yes i do! it would probably taste even better.
Made this for my boyfriend’s family last night- YUM! Thanks for a brilliant recipe!
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Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe. I made it for a family gathering and the guests couldn’t stop saying how much they enjoyed the pork. Keep up the great work. xoxo
Great recipe ! Just made it and it tastes amazing !!
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I made this last night for dinner, and my fiancee absolutely loved it. The flavors all went together so well, and the sauce on top at the end really made it over the top! Thanks for such a great recipe.
Oh my lands. I have been eyeing this recipe for weeks, and finally made it today. My mother, who does not even like gorgonzola, loved it! It was a hit with all four of us who tried it.
As a side, I poached apples in masala mix, a teabag of mulling spice, and cardamom. They steamed for probably forty minutes or so, until they were just soft enough to cut easily with a knife. So yummy!
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe!
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Can you use fresh figs instead of dried ones?
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Made this tonight! Couldn’t find figs so spread fig jam inside pork. Also sautéed spinach and used goat cheese inside. Because of the fig jam, it was sweet enough and didn’t need the sauce at the end. . It was soooo good!
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I hope you see this and I’m so excited to try this. It’s my first year hosting Christmas and I have my new in laws coming along with my parents and my husband’s eldest son and his wife and a ton of kids between us and them… so I really want to impress so badly. That being said, I have to make two of these to feed everyone and I’m so scared to get something wrong. Can you recommend how long to cook two of them side by side in the same pan? Should I adjust the temperature? Please help!
hi!! i think you can make both at the same time – i wouldn’t change the oven temp, but being that there will be more in the oven, it will lower the temp naturally and you may need to cook them a bit longer. I would check them at the time above and if they need longer, cook in 5 to 6 minute increments!
I picked the recipe and my husband made it for a Christmas dinner! So good! Thank you
This sounds so delicious and I am planning to make it for our Valentine’s Day celebration! One question–my husband doesn’t drink alcohol, so what would you suggest using instead of bourbon? Thanks!!
P.S. Your “funfetti” cupcakes from your cookbook are a staple in our house!
What if I don’t have bourbon??
This recipe is delicious! I tripled it as we had a big crew over for dinner. I subbed a few items due to what I had on hand, apricot brandy for the bourbon, blue cheese for camembert. My figs were hard so I soaked longer. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus with lemon. Everyone had seconds!