Grilled Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

With a few steps and a sharp knife, making Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is easy and delicious. This tender cut of pork is such a great option when making any stuffed dish. Our stuffed pork tenderloin recipe is filled with sweet caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, sage, and goat cheese for a creamy and savory flavor.

Jump to:

• The Cut – Pork Tenderloin versus Pork Loin
• Preparation
• How to Butterfly Pork Tenderloin
• Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Filling
• Grilling Pork Tenderloin
• Wine Pairing
• Sides for Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
• Other Pork Roast Recipes
• About Vindulge
• Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onions

The Cut – Pork Tenderloin versus Pork Loin

Pork tenderloin is a different cut from pork loin. Pork tenderloin is a long thin cut of meat from along the backbone of a pig. The pork loin is a thicker and very lean cut that comes from the back off the rib bone, versus the actual backbone.

Often when buying a pork tenderloin, they will come in a package containing two of them. This recipe was made for two tenderloins. Ask your butcher if the package has one or two.

This recipe and the portions for this stuffed pork tenderloin recipe are made for two pork tenderloins. If you want to try this recipe with a pork loin, then you’ll want to modify the filling and grilling times appropriately.

Preparation

Pork tenderloin will have a thicker side and a long tapered end. To prepare it for stuffing, trim the cut and remove the tail end.

1. Start by removing the silver skin by gently using a sharp boning knife and cutting just under and along the skin.
2. Next, remove any excess fat on the outside of the pork tenderloin.
3. The final step for this recipe is to trim off the narrow tail of the tenderloin. It won’t be thick enough to stuff. We usually remove about ½ an inch so there is some thickness to the entire tenderloin.

Now that the fat is trimmed off and the silver skin is removed, it’s time to butterfly (or open up) the tenderloin.

Once the pork tenderloin has been butterflied and evened out, add olive oil and dry rub to one side of the tenderloin. Then, on the seasoned side add the filling and goat cheese, gently wrap and tie up with kitchen twine, and then season the outer edge of the cut.

How to Butterfly Pork Tenderloin

The goal when butterflying a pork tenderloin is to open the cut, like a tri-fold, so we can then pound the meat into an even rectangle.

1. Using a sharp boning knife, slowly cut along the base of the tenderloin along the entire length. Take care NOT to cut all the way through or separate the cut. This opens up the tenderloin.
2. Continuing with your knife, continue to open the tenderloin with a similar cut again. Carefully cutting along the length of the tenderloin until you can open up the meat a second time.
3. Now that we have a tri-fold style cut, cover with a large portion of plastic wrap. Using meat pounder gently flatten the meat, starting in the center of the tenderloin and working your way toward the outer edges. The goal is to have a roughly equal rectangle that we’ll apply the seasoning and filling to. See photos 1-4 below.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Filling

1. In a large pan over medium-low heat, add olive oil, butter, and red onions. Stir occasionally for 40 minutes until dark in color and caramelized. If the onions are not cooking evenly lower the heat.
2. After 40 minutes, or the onions have the right caramelization, add the garlic, sage, and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue to saute for an additoinal 5 – 7 minutes to warm and soften. Add salt and pepper.
3. Take the filling and place on the butterflied pork tenderloins. Since we’re rolling it, leave about ½ inch of space from the edges.
4. Add small bits of the goat cheese.
5. Roll the stuffed pork tenderloin tightly and tie with kitchen twine.

Now it’s time to place on the grill or bake in the oven. (Grilled Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is more fun).

Grilling Pork Tenderloin

1. Prepare your grill for two-zone (or indirect) grilling, targeting 450 degrees as the ambient temperature in the grill.
2. Place the tied stuffed pork tenderloin over direct heat. Cover and grill for up to 5 minutes or you see a nice sear and color.
3. Flip and continue to grill direct for additional 3 – 5 minutes, covered, until you see a nice sear.
4. Move to indirect heat, cover grill and continue to cook until the internal temperature of the middle of the pork is 135 – 140 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer like the Thermoworks MK4 Thermapen.
5. Remove from grill, and let rest for 10 minutes. Then remove the kitchen twine, slice and serve with your favorite sides.

Wine Pairing

Any pork dish is very versatile with a number of wines. Some of our favorite with this stuffed pork tenderloin focus on the tartness from the goat cheese and sweet an umami flavors from the sun dried tomatoes.

• Syrah – Syrah tends to be less tannic than a big Bordeaux red but still bring a pepper note to the nose and fruit. Look for Syrah from Northern California or Easter Washington for the bolder fruit compared to their French counterparts.
• Zinfandel – Good Zinfandel will have bold fruit characteristics and a soft but acidic finish. Look for Zinfandel from Southern Oregon, Paso Robles, or Sonoma County.
• White – If looking for a white wine this dish needs a big one. Look for an oaked chardonnay to contrast with the goat cheese. Because it’s grilled and melted the richness of the cheese is a nice match with balanced oak. Look for Oregon oaked chardonnay or a Napa chardonnay.

Sides for Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

• Duck Fat Potatoes
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Roasted Potatoes
• Grilled Sweet Mashed Potatoes
• Skillet Cornbread

Other Pork Roast Recipes

• Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Fried Sage Butter Sauce
• Smoked Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
• Jalapeno Crusted Smoked Pork Tenderloin
• Grilled Pork Loin with Blackberry Sauce
• Rack of Pork Grilled with Apricot Glaze

Or you can check out our grilled stuffed chicken recipe too.

About Vindulge

Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.

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