Recipe: Apple Stuffed Pork Loin and Maple Dough Balls

Garrett Strickland with his blue-ribbon recipe, Apple Stuffed Pork Loin and Maple Dough Balls, at the N.C. State Fair.

October is National Pork Month, which makes it a great time to celebrate the pork industry in North Carolina. Our state ranks second nationally in pork production. Duplin, Sampson, Bladen and Wayne counties are our top hog-producing counties.

This week at the N.C. State Fair, the N.C. Pork Council sponsored the Tar Heel Pork Challenge. Garrett Strickland of Zebulon placed first and earned $200 for Apple Stuffed Pork Loin and Maple Dough Balls. Check out the recipe below, and be sure to use N.C. apples, which are also in season.

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin and Maple Dough Balls

For the pork loin:

4 to 5 pounds pork loin (butterflied)
5 Gala apples, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon BBQ rub (McCormick’s)
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the dough balls:

1 can of Pillsbury Southern recipe biscuits
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

For the maple glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and lightly spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. In a medium size pan, melt ½ stick butter. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and then stir in the apples. Reduce heat to medium and let the apples sit a few minutes until thickened. Place apple mixture in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Once apples have cooled, evenly spread them onto the butterflied pork loin. Roll up the loin and tie with butcher’s twine to keep it together. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, BBQ rub and parsley. Place the loin in a dish and cook on 300 degrees for 1 ½ hours or until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees. Then you will add the dough balls.
3. In a large re-sealable bag, combine ½ cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place the biscuit pieces into the bag and shake making sure each piece gets coated, set aside.
4. Melt butter and brown sugar in the microwave until melted, stir to combine.
5. Remove pork loin from oven and drain most of the juice out of the dish leaving just a little in the bottom. Add your biscuit dough balls to one side of the pork loin in the dish. Pour the melted butter/brown sugar mixture over the dough balls. Place the dish back in the oven and cook another 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
6. While the loin and dough balls finish baking, mix ½ cup powdered sugar in a bowl with the maple syrup. Slowly add the milk stirring to combine.
7. Remove pork loin from oven, internal temperature should read 160 degrees. Pour maple glaze on top of dough balls. Cut loin in 6-8 slices and serve with maple dough balls.