Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Loin

We are going to the 2014 National Dutch Oven Gathering (NDOG) in Iowa!  Our 900 mile trip will be a two-day adventure as we make our way from north Texas to Monticello.

My better-half wanted to try a stuffed pork loin with hopes of preparing it in Iowa, and he graciously let me share it with you.  Here’s what he made in a 14″ Dutch oven:

Ingredients

• Pork Loin, about 3 1/2 pounds and about 10 inches in length
• 2 packages frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
• 5 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 cup Dried, chopped chives
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pound of bacon

Directions

1. Cut the pork loin following the rolling method in this video, laying it out into about a 10″ x 16″ rectangle that is close to an inch thick.  Season pork with salt and pepper.
2. Drain as much of the liquid out of the spinach as possible.  We put the thawed spinach into a strainer, then used a fork to press the spinach against the mesh, forcing the liquid out.  Another method is to roll the spinch in a dry towel and wring the liquid out.  The goal is to remove as much liquid as possible.
3. Layer the spinach, cheese, garlic, garlic powder, and chives across the pork. 
4. Roll the pork loin up.  
5. Weave the bacon that will wrap around the pork loin.  Lay seven strips of bacon vertically across a piece of parchment paper.  (Note my blog fail:  We forgot the parchment paper and regreted it after I took this photo.  The parchment paper makes the transer so much easier, I promise!)  This video shows the basic technique to weave bacon that my better-half followed. 
6. Place the top of the rolled pork loin in the center of the bacon weave.  Flip it over (yes, that is difficult but don’t worry!) placing the seam side down in the center of a 14″ camp Dutch oven.  Arrange any wayward bacon strips as needed.
7. Fire up a big batch of charcoal.  Make a ring of ten hot charcoals, place the Dutch oven over the ring, and then add 18 on the lid.
8. Bake for about an hour, rotating the lid clockwise and bottom counter-clockwise every 15 minutes.  Depending on the ambient temperature and wind, you may need to replace the charcoal to maintain a 350F temperature.
9. When the internal tempature of the pork reaches 140F, check the bacon.  If it is not brown, pile on hot charcoal to the lid to raise the temperature and crisp up the bacon.  After a few minutes, check the bacon and remove when the bacon is crispy and brown. 
10. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven and let rest for 15 minutes.  Slice, serve, and enjoy!

So moist, tender, flavorful, and yummy!  The hardest part of this is rolling out the pork loin.  After that, this is such an easy and beautiful main dish.

Serve this with Cherry Bourbon sauce and be prepared to drool!