Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin came about because a friend of Ken’s wanted something different for a “Game Day” party appetizer. Patti loves all things pesto, so she wanted to make pesto potato skins instead of the usual. Ken brought a pork loin out of our freezer and said “Here, pesto this, too. The pork loin was delicious, easy because you can put it together the night before. All with that “Kiss of Smoke“. The appetizer recipe to follow!
Patti and I have set one night a week just for us. It’s our date night. We usually put something special on our Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker but sometimes we cook inside. We always eat outside on our patio where it is very comfortable with a rainforest theme. Wood Pellet Patio Heater, little lights, candles, lanterns and surround sound. We enjoy a little wine, or strawberry margaritas using frozen strawberries for ice, good food, music and sometimes a dance or two…
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Check Out All of Our Cookbooks They are “How To” BBQ Picture Books
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes at 375* (190c) Grill: Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill Pellets: Green Mountain Premium Apple Blend Pellets
Ingredients: Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin
- 1 3lb. boneless pork loin
- 1 6oz. container garlic basil pesto sauce
- 2 teaspoons Green Mountain Grills Roasted Garlic & Chipotle Seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped fine
- Cooking spray, we use “Duck Fat” (see our store)
- Toothpicks for pinning the loin together
Ingredients Stuffing
- 1 small sweet onion, minced
- ¾ cup smoked garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups maple bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (reserve 1 teaspoon drippings)
- 1 ½ cups smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Cooking Directions: Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin
Sauté onions and garlic in drippings for 5 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl add all ingredients for the stuffing and mix together.
Preheat the Grill Grates to 375* (190c) and light your wedgie for that “Kiss of smoke”.
Using a sharp knife cut a pocket into the side of the pork loin reaching as far as you can to the sides for the stuffing.
Open up the pocket and add as much of the stuffing it will hold and still be able to pin the pocket closed.
Spray the pork with a good cooking spray to bind the seasoning on to it. We use “Duck Fat”.
Season to taste with the Green Mountain Grills Roasted Garlic & Chipotle Seasoning and you are ready for the grill.
Place your pork loin directly onto the hot grill grates for about 40 minutes or so until you have an internal temperature around 135* (57c).
Brush the pesto sauce onto the pork the last 10 minutes of your cook.
When the meat reaches an internal temperature around 135* (57c) pull it off, cover it and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. U.S.D.A. safe is 140* (60c). Keep in mind that the meat will continue cooking for another 5 to 10 degrees after you pull it off the grill. I use a Maverick ProTemp Instant Read Thermometer for checking meat temps.
Note: I get a lot of questions about the kind of pellets you can use with a recipe. Keep in mind that a recipe is just an outline. Some you need to follow closely like when you are making bread, but most you can do anything you can dream, our favorite way to cook. Feel free to mix and match the pellets until you find a combination you really like. Also, you are only smoking at temps less than 250 degrees (122c), anything higher is cooking and there will not be much if any smoke, so it does not matter what kind of pellet you are using.
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Stuffed Pesto Pork Loin A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
About our Recipes
We do our recipes on our patio where we have a lineup of grills, including Green Mountain, Uuni Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Sawtooth, Louisiana, Royall, Memphis, Traeger pellet grills, Char Griller side box smoker, Saber, Charmglow, Char-Broil, The Big Easy, Lodge Sportsman’s, Brinkman and Weber. I call it our “Wall of Grill”. Our grilling styles are healthy and low fat and will fit pelletheads, gas, natural wood and even charcoal purists. Almost any of our recipes can be done on any kind of good BBQ.
The important thing to keep in mind is TIME & TEMPERATURE. You can do our recipes on any grill, even some of them in the oven or crock pot, but, then you lose all the flavors you get from cooking outdoors. But sometimes it does rain.
Remember that a recipe is simply an outline; it is not written in stone. Don’t be afraid to make changes to suit your taste. Take it and run with it….
Live your Passion and Do What You Love, Ken & Patti
When you say “In a large bowl add all ingredients, except pork and mix together.”, does that include the garlic chipotle seasoning, chopped basil and pesto sauce also? Or is the seasoning for the outside after stuffing and pesto sauce for last 10 min of grilling?
Sorry, I should have be more clear. Thank you, I’ll fix it.
“In a large bowl add all ingredients, except pork and mix together” is for the stuffing mix.
Season the outside just before it goes on the grill.
Yes,sauce the last 10 minutes or so of your cook.