Oven-Roasted Pork Roll with Fruit Sauce and Baked Potatoes
Oven-roasted pork roll with spinach, mushrooms, and bacon, served with fruit sauce and baked potatoes. A festive, juicy, and easy-to-make recipe.
Oven-Roasted Pork Roll with Fruit Sauce and Baked Potatoes
Course: Fel principalCuisine: Romaneasca modernaDifficulty: Mediu8
servings30
minutes3
hours700
kcal3
hours30
minutesSome meals are not just about taste, but about the feeling they create. The meals between the years have something special: they are more anticipated, filled with emotion, and carefully planned to be memorable for both loved ones and guests. Food has a unique way of reaching people’s hearts, and holiday meals seem to have that certain je ne sais quoi we all look forward to.
For such a moment, I chose a recipe that combines the classic flavor of oven-roasted pork with an elegant twist – a fruit sauce, lightly sweet and tangy, that perfectly balances the dish.
This pork roll is the kind of main course that looks spectacular on the table but is not complicated to prepare. It has a creamy, flavorful interior, a crispy bacon crust, and pairs perfectly with simple, golden-brown baked potatoes. It’s a recipe that brings people together around the table and surely captures the sparkle of the turn of the year.
I warmly invite you to prepare it together!
Ingredients
- For the pork roll:
1 boneless pork loin (approx. 1.7 kg)
200–250 g frozen spinach, thawed and very well drained
250 g button mushrooms
120–150 g mixed cheeses
30–40 g grated Parmesan
150–200 g sliced bacon
3–4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons mustard (optional, but highly recommended)
3 tablespoons cream
- For the fruit sauce:
200 g mixed berries / cranberries / plums
100 ml semi-dry wine (red or white)
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
- For the baked potatoes:
1.5 kg potatoes
3 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper
paprika and rosemary or thyme
garlic
Preparation method
- Tip for meat rolls:
If you want to skip the kitchen twine, you can use slices of bacon to wrap the roll before baking. Besides keeping its shape, it adds extra flavor and deliciousness.
- Preparing the filling
Finely chop the mushrooms and sauté them in a tablespoon of oil, uncovered, until all the water has evaporated, so the filling isn’t watery. Add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper, then the well-drained spinach, and cook everything for another 2–3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Stir in the cream and one tablespoon of mustard, mixing until you get a creamy, well-bound filling. - Preparing and rolling the pork loin
Butterfly the pork loin, opening it like a book, then gently pound it until you get an even thickness. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika. Spread the filling evenly over the meat, sprinkle the cheeses on top, leaving a few centimeters free around the edges, then roll it up tightly. - Arrange the bacon slices slightly overlapping on the work surface, place the pork roll on top, brush it with the remaining mustard, and wrap it completely.
Since the bacon layer will tighten the roll during baking, there’s no need to tie it with kitchen twine. For even cooking and a juicy result, wrap the roll first in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil. - Baking the pork roll
Preheat the oven to 170°C and bake the pork roll for 90 minutes. After this time, remove the foil and parchment paper, add the wine, increase the temperature to 190–200°C, and continue baking for another 25–30 minutes, until the bacon is golden and crispy.
It’s important not to pierce the roll, so the juices stay sealed inside. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15–20 minutes before slicing into thick pieces. - Preparing the baked potatoes
Meanwhile, prepare the baked potatoes. Cut the potatoes into quarters and toss them with oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary. Bake at 200°C for 45–50 minutes, until golden and crispy. - Fruit sauce
For the fruit sauce, place the fruit together with the wine, honey, and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Add the cornstarch dissolved in water and let the sauce thicken slightly, until smooth and silky. - Serving the pork roll with fruit sauce and baked potatoes
Place the pork roll on a serving platter, arrange the potatoes around it, and add a simple garnish—just enough to spark curiosity at the table. Slice the roll into generous pieces and serve them alongside the golden, crispy baked potatoes.
Drizzle the meat with the pan juices (optional, but warmly recommended) and the warm fruit sauce, which adds a delicate sweet-and-tangy note, or serve the sauce on the side so everyone can add as much as they like. - I hope you enjoyed reading about this pork roll with fruit sauce and baked potatoes as much as I enjoyed sharing the recipe with you. Each step is meant to bring a little magic into the kitchen and turn the meals between the years into an unforgettable moment, filled with aromas, smiles, and warmth.
I wish you a Happy New Year, full of health, joy, and special moments spent with your loved ones. May you enjoy delicious meals, beautiful moments, and many unforgettable memories. Thank you for taking the time to cook together and for bringing a touch of celebration to every plate. Happy New Year, and happy cooking!
