Want to serve something really tasty AND impressive? Look no further than this Spiral-Stuffed Pork Loin. It’s perfect for Christmas, Easter, Sunday night dinner, or whenever you want your guests to say “wow!”.
Butterflying pork loin opens up a world of culinary potential. By slicing the loin almost all the way through and opening it up like a book, you can stuff, roll, pound, and customize it to your heart’s content. But have you tried taking butterflying to the next level with a double butterfly?
This advanced butterflying technique involves cutting the pork loin in half lengthwise, then butterflying each half. When done right, it provides more surface area for seasoning, searing, and stuffing delicious fillings into every nook and cranny.
While it takes some knife skills, with my step-by-step instructions you can master the double butterfly pork loin. Let’s get started!
Benefits of Double Butterflying Pork Loin
Butterflying pork loin is great, but doing a double butterfly has even more advantages:
- More surface area to coat with seasoning, rubs, and herbs
- Better searing with more sides exposed to the hot pan
- Room for more filling when you double the pockets
- Easier slicing when roast is cooked, with built-in divisions
- Cooks more evenly with a more consistent thickness
With all that exposed meat ready to be flavored, stuffed, and seared, you gain a ton of flexibility with a double butterfly
Step 1: Split the Loin in Half Lengthwise
Start with a 2-3 lb boneless pork loin roast. Place it fat side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice down the center lengthwise stopping about 1/2 inch from the bottom.
You want to cut it in half without separating the two halves completely. Rock the knife in short motions to work through the meat.
Step 2: Butterfly the First Half
Working with one half at a time, make horizontal cuts into the meat, slicing from the inside out.
Cut down to about 1/2 inch from the bottom. Keep the slices even and don’t cut all the way through Unfold the butterflied half
Step 3: Repeat Butterflying on the Second Half
Do the same process on the other half, making horizontal slices from the inside and leaving 1/2 inch uncut at the bottom. Unfold so you have two butterflied halves still connected.
Step 4: Pound the Meat Evenly
If needed, cover with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to gently pound any thicker portions. Pound evenly until the loin is about 3/4 inch thick all over.
Step 5: Season and Stuff the Pork Loin
Rub the pork all over with spices, herbs, and seasonings. Get the seasoning into all the nooks and crannies. Stuff your favorite fillings into the two pockets, like chopped apples, breadcrumbs, spinach, etc.
Step 6: Roll and Tie the Stuffed Loin
Starting from a short end, carefully roll up each half. Make sure the stuffing stays put. Tie kitchen string around each rolled half to secure.
Step 7: Sear, Roast, and Slice
Sear the outside of the pork loin in a hot pan before roasting. Roast at 375°F until the center reaches 145°F. Let rest before slicing between the two halves.
Alternative Methods
While rolling into two logs is popular, a double butterflied loin can also be prepared by:
- Leaving flat like a book and stuffing both halves
- Folding in half like a wallet
- Cutting into chops or medallions after pounding
Experiment to find your favorite preparation!
Tips for Double Butterfly Success
Follow these tips for the perfect double butterfly every time:
- Use a sharp, thin knife to butterfly smoothly
- Cut slowly and rock the knife to control slices
- Keep uncut portion at bottom intact
- Pound evenly to uniform thickness
- Chill loin 30 mins before slicing for clean cuts
- Roast low and slow to keep meat juicy
Quick and Easy Filling Ideas
With two big pockets to work with, get creative with the fillings! Here are some quick and easy stuffing ideas:
- Sautéed mushrooms and onions
- Chopped kale, spinach, or swiss chard
- Diced apples or pears with walnuts
- Chopped roasted red peppers
- Sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese
- Caramelized onions and garlic
- Breadcrumbs or cornbread with herbs
Make the fillings ahead for easy stuffing once the pork is butterflied. Play with different flavor combos!
The Perfect Meal
A double butterfly pork loin stuffed with your favorite fillings makes for an impressive and delicious main course. Round out the meal with:
- Roasted potatoes or root vegetables
- A fresh green salad or roasted veggies
- Skillet cornbread, biscuits, or rolls
- A fruity sangria, pinot noir or zinfandel wine
Your guests will be amazed by your advanced culinary skills. Just be sure to keep the double butterfly technique your little secret! Once you get the process down, this pork roast will become a regular star at your dinner table.
How To Make Stuffed Pork Loin:
Start with the loin on a large cutting board. (Don’t know the difference between a pork loin and a pork tenderloin? Jump over to this post here. Line up the meat so that it is straight across from you. Cut along one side of the cylinder about 1/2 inch from the edge, stopping about 1/2 inch short of the cutting board. You should have a 1/2-inch flap of meat running the length of the cylinder on the side where you cut (your right hand if you’re right-handed).
Change your knife so it’s parallel to the cutting board. Cut into the meat away from the flap, starting where the flap meets the cylinder. Keep your knife 1/2 inch above the cutting board.
Use your other hand to pull the meat away from the knife, like you’re unfolding a carpet. Keep making this cut. Eventually, you’ll have one large rectangle of meat that’s about 1/2-inch thick. Ta-da!.
There may be places where the meat feels too thick. Cut a small hole in the meat and press it open. You can see where I did this on the right side of the picture above.
If the surface of the meat looks a little ragged or there are holes, don’t worry too much. Most of those imperfections will be unnoticeable once the roast reaches the dinner table.
Add your stuffing to the top of this rectangle, using my recipe below or your own. About a 1/4-inch thickness is ideal.
Take the inside of the meat and roll it back up into a cylinder. Then, tie it with kitchen twine.
You’re ready to roast.
And, as I already said, the slices of your spiral-cut roast not only look great, but they also taste great. Because the stuffing adds flavor to the roast through and through!.
You can always roast the pork loin without stuffing it if all of that seems like too much work or if you meant to stuff it but forgot and don’t have time. I think you’ll love this way of cooking a pork loin roast in the oven almost as much as I do. Either way, Enjoy!.
Video: How To Spiral Stuff A Pork Loin
There are a few different ways you can stuff a pork loin. The easiest way is to cut the meat cylinder down the middle so it opens up like a book, stuff it, and then close it back up. Sometimes this is called butterflying and it makes for slices of meat that look like this.
Another way is to cut a hole in the middle of the loin, making a tube-like shape, and stuff the tube. It makes for slices that have a donut-shaped piece of meat with the stuffing in the center.
My favorite, though, is a spiral-cut—because its slices are the most impressive, beautiful spirals of meat and filling. Confusingly, this is also sometimes called butterflying, even though it’s completely different than the first option. It’s also sometimes called a roll cut because the final roast looks like a jelly roll. Any way you look at it, it’s not that hard to do, and even if you mess up, most of the “mistakes” will be gone after the meat is cooked and sliced.
Here’s how you do it.
How to Butterfly a Pork Loin | Tips & Techniques by All Things Barbecue
FAQ
How to cook two pork tenderloins at the same time?
How do you double butterfly a pork loin?
Pour in the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Stir in the ice cubes to cool the mixture down. Double butterfly the pork loin: Place the loin on the cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, make a lengthwise cut into the side of the roast, just above center, stopping before you go through the other side.
How to butterfly pork loin?
There are a number of ways to butterfly pork loin or roast, but we like the Double Butterfly method because it is so simple and straightforward. Cut 1: Place your loin on the cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, make a slit into the long side of the loin about a third of the way down from the top.
How do you cut a pork tenderloin into a butterfly?
To start the butterfly, hold your knife lengthwise and begin to cut along the length of the pork tenderloin, through the centre of the meat. Do not cut all the way through, stop about an inch from the bottom. Once you made that cut down the middle, open up your pork tenderloin like a book and press down gently to flatten it out.
What is a double butterfly pork tenderloin?
A double butterfly allows you make your pork tenderloin thinner and makes rolling easier. Think of it as a thick piece of paper — except meat! Once your two new cuts are made in each flap, press down gently to flatten it out again. Sometimes a recipe will call for you to pound your pork tenderloin down even flatter — do that now!