Pork Roulade with Chanterelles
This pork roulade with chanterelles and prunes comes straight from my memory of home. I grew up eating savory meat paired with prunes, a combination that adds a gentle sweetness and depth to familiar, comforting dishes — and one I still crave. Pork welcomes the sweetness of prunes beautifully, and when you add earthy chanterelles, the dish becomes something deeply familiar and grounding. Here, I reimagine my mom’s traditional pork roast as a roulade — a little more elegant, meant to be sliced at the table and shared. It’s the kind of meal you make on a slow Sunday or for a festive family gathering, when cooking is about generosity, sharing love, and bringing everyone together. I usually serve it with creamy mashed potato, some simple green salad and pair with a glass of Sonoma Pinot Noir.
Equipment
- 10-inch oven safe skillet
- Meat mallet or rolling pin
- Kitchen twine
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP good-quality olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 6 ounces fresh chanterelles cleaned and chopped into bite sice pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced (about 1½ tablespoons)
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme plus a few whole thyme sprigs
- ½ cup chopped prunes
- 1 pork loin about 3 pounds or 1.5 kg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 TBSP Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup dry white wine water, or chicken stock
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add the chanterelles and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, letting them release their liquid and concentrate their flavor until the pan looks dry.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat, mix in the chopped thyme and prunes, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool—it will be much easier to spread.
- Place the pork loin on a cutting board with the fat cap down and the small end facing you. Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the loin lengthwise to within ½ inch of the bottom, opening it like a book and slice each half. Cover the butterflied pork with plastic wrap and gently pound it with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it’s an even ½-inch thickness.
- Season the pork with a good pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the mustard over the pork and evenly top with mushroom mixture. Scatter the prunes on top. Starting from one long side, roll the loin up tightly, jelly-roll style, ending seam-side down. Tie the roast with kitchen twine every 2 inches.
- Season the outside with the remaining teaspoon of salt and a little more pepper.
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork roulade, turning occasionally, until all sides are evenly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour in the wine or chicken stock, bring to a simmer and transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 135°F, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and let the meat rest for 15 minutes.
- Cut off the twine, slice the pork into ½-inch slices, and serve with all those gorgeous pan juices.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portionCalories: 631kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 83gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 230mgSodium: 267mgPotassium: 1689mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 151IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 4mg