Pork Tenderloin Wrapped With Grape Leaves

Serves 4
For pork:
4 – 6 oz pieces of pork loin, butterflied (center cut is optimal)
4 oz smoked bacon, sliced thin
1 oz chopped dill
1 jar of grape leaves, rinsed under cold water and dried
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon of butter

For cabbage stew:
Half of a head of Savoy cabbage, diced
2 oz Spanish onions, diced
2 oz carrots, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic peeled and slivered
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
2 cups veal stock
1 dried lime
2 tablespoons of baharat
(Dried lime and baharat available at most Middle Eastern grocery stores)
1 cup of cooked orzo
Extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:
Lay pork filets on a clean surface and season, lightly with salt and pepper.
Line with bacon and chopped dill.
Roll pork tightly, creating a “roulade” with the bacon and dill.
Wrap each roulade with two grape leaves, each, and then wrap tightly with plastic wrap 3 times. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat a large pot of boiling water to 160 degrees. Place pork in pot and poach for 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Check water temperature every 15 minutes.

While pork is cooking, sweat onions, carrots, and garlic with olive oil in a large sauté pan or small braising pan. Add tomato paste and baharat and brown.
Add veal stock and dried lime and cabbage and cook till liquid is reduced by half
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
After pork is done cooking, remove it from water and unwrap.
Sauté roulades very briefly with butter and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Arrange cabbage stew and orzo in 4 bowls.
Place sliced pork on top of orzo and cabbage and drizzle with olive oil.
Serve immediately.

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