Italian style stuffed pork tenderloin

Ingredients

650 g pork tenderloin

60 g cream cheese spread

1 tsp granulated garlic, divided

2 tsp ground black pepper, divided

2 tsp dry Italian herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil), divided

40 g prosciutto

80 g smoked sausage or pepperoni, thinly sliced

50 g Swiss cheese slices

20 g fresh spinach leaves

1 tsp cayenne pepper, divided

60 g mozzarella, shredded

4 tbs olive oil, divided

Juice from ½ lemon

¼ cup white wine

4 garlic cloves, halved

Grated rind of ½ lemon

2 tbs bread crumbs

Gravy:

½ packet cream of mushroom soup of your choice

350 ml water

300 g button mushrooms, cleaned, and thickly sliced

Preparation

Make a 2.5 cm deep incision down the length of the tenderloin; do not cut all the way through. Open the meat like a book so the tenderloin lies flat. Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until about 1 cm thick.

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese, season with granulated garlic, pepper and some Italian herbs.

Place prosciutto in a single layer, then pepperoni and Swiss cheese (or provolone).

Top with spinach, sprinkle with more granulated garlic and a little of cayenne pepper. Add mozzarella on top.

Starting with a long side, tightly roll up the tenderloin. Secure with metal or wooden toothpicks or a string. Place in a deep roasting pan.

Drizzle the loin with 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice. Pour around ¼ cup white wine in the bottom with halves of garlic cloves. Season with more Italian herbs and grated lemon rind on top. Put this in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile make a gravy from ½ packet of cream of mushroom soup of your choice cooked in 350 ml water. Add sliced button mushrooms.

When ready to cook the sirloin, pour the gravy with mushrooms over the top, then sprinkle with bread crumbs and more Italian herbs. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on the bread crumbs.