Thoughts on searing the tenderloin before stuffing

[UselessRiver]

Hi everyone, happy Cinco deMayo,

This is my first post here, I bought a boneless pork loin yesterday on a whim and it is currently being brined. I was reading some really helpful advise on the site but I have a few more questions.

I was planning on going past simple butterflying and cutting the pork into one giant 1" thick strip that i'm going to stuff and roll up. [I got the idea from watching the Italian porchetta recipes] I'm going to play it by ear whether or not i'm going to tenderize the pork a little bit.

I am planning on making a rosemary based pesto to stuff inside the pork, will the pork loin be okay with all of the olive oil on the inside?
Also will searing both sides of the pork Before rolling it up cause it to be difficult to roll?
I went ahead and cut the pork loin into two portions, if this doesn't work out i'll still have the other half to experiment with.

Thanks in advance!

PS what are your preferences and thoughts regarding cooking the entire loin at once vs the divide and conquer approach?

[AlisonC]

I would stuff and tie the loin first, then sear and roast it.

[buckytom]

yes, searing the meat will make it more difficult to roll because the meat tightens up when cooked, and it will also cause it to be more dry because you're cutting it after it's partially cooked, thus releasing juices (aka blood or intracellular fluids) in the outer layer that has cooked.

however, it might be a neat experiment. a loin is pretty lean, though, so there's not much room for error it would be better for a sirloin end roast.

[Greg Who Cooks]

Originally Posted by buckytom

... (aka blood or intracellular fluids) ...

Nothing like discussing blood and intracellular fluids under a full moon!