With thinly sliced prosciutto, goat cheese and a jar of store-bought olive tapenade in the fridge, I started to think about what sort of dish I could make to combine all three flavors into one tasty creation.  And voila–this Provençal-style pork tenderloin was born.  Pork, chicken and turkey are all very versatile meats in terms of flavor pairings; their mild flavors allow a multitude of possibilities and creativity in the kitchen.  In fact, this combination of flavors would work well not only with pork, but also stuffed chicken breasts and even turkey tenderloins or a baked turkey breast.

To make this dish, simply use a sharp pairing knife to cut a slit lengthwise all the way down the center of the tenderloin, being careful not to cut completely through the pork; now you can season the inside of the pork with salt and pepper as well as make a light coating of both goat cheese and the olive tapenade.  With the seam-side up, next comes the fresh herbs and the thinly sliced prosciutto.  Wrap about 3-4 slices of prosciutto around the pork along with fresh sage leaves or chopped rosemary.  Using  cotton kitchen twine, tie the pork up so that as it bakes, the stuffing stays put while the pork cooks to perfection.  A touch of dry white wine in the baking pan with the pork keeps the meat tender and adds a lovely touch of additional flavor to the pork.

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Tagged: fresh sage, goat cheese, olive tapenade, pork and sage, pork tenderloin, prosciutto, prosciutto-wrapped pork, sage, stuffed pork, white wine