Are you searching for the ultimate holiday showstopper? A magnificent, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table that is as impressive to behold as it is unbelievably delicious? This incredible, from-scratch Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Roulade is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender pork loin, butterflied and rolled around a savory, earthy stuffing of wild mushrooms and fresh herbs, all encased in a savory, golden-brown crust and served with a luscious sherry pan sauce.
This isn’t just another roast recipe; it’s your definitive guide to creating a truly unforgettable holiday feast. While a stuffed roulade may seem like the territory of a professional chef, we’ll break down the entire process into simple, manageable steps. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is destined to become your new family tradition.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Easy & Elegant Holiday Roast
What makes this Stuffed Pork Roulade so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its stunning, spiral presentation when sliced. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, festive cooking. The star of the show is a beautiful, lean boneless pork loin roast. The brilliant technique involves carefully slicing and unrolling the meat into a flat rectangle, a method known as “butterflying.” This creates the perfect canvas for a luxurious, from-scratch stuffing made from a rich, earthy mushroom duxelles and a fragrant fresh herb oil. The meat is then rolled back up into a beautiful roast, seared to a golden-brown, and then roasted to juicy perfection. Finally, the delicious pan drippings are transformed into a simple, yet elegant, sherry pan sauce.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 2 hours 30 minutes (includes resting) |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Holiday Kitchen: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients to create its signature rich and savory-sweet flavor.
- The Pork Loin (The Star of the Show!):
- Boneless Pork Loin Roast: This is a wonderfully lean, tender, and budget-friendly cut that is perfect for roasting. It is important to note that a pork loin is a different cut from a pork tenderloin—the loin is a much larger, wider roast that is perfect for butterflying and stuffing.1
- The Savory Mushroom Stuffing (Duxelles): The secret to the deep, complex, and festive flavor is the classic French technique of a duxelles.
- The Mushrooms: A combination of earthy wild mushrooms (like oyster or hen of the woods) and classic cremini mushrooms creates a wonderful depth of flavor.
- The “Dry Sauté”: The number one secret to a duxelles with an intense, concentrated flavor is to cook the mushrooms until all their liquid has evaporated and the pan is dry. This is the key that prevents a soggy stuffing.
- The Herb Oil & Pan Sauce:
- Fresh Herbs: A classic, fragrant blend of fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary gives the roast an incredible, festive aroma.
- Dry Sherry: A splash of dry sherry is the secret ingredient for the pan sauce. It has a wonderful, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor that is perfect for deglazing the pan and creating an instant, flavorful sauce.
The Roulade Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfectly Juicy Stuffed Roast
This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Butterflying the Roast: The number one secret to a beautiful, stuffed roast is to “butterfly” or unroll it. By carefully slicing the loin parallel to your cutting board, you can unroll it like a book to create a large, flat canvas. This is the key that allows you to get that beautiful, pinwheel spiral of stuffing in every single slice. For an easy shortcut, you can always ask your butcher to do this for you!
- The Stovetop Sear: Before the roast goes into the oven, you must give it a quick sear in a hot, oiled pan on all sides. This is the crucial step that creates a beautiful, deep golden-brown, and incredibly flavorful crust through the Maillard reaction.
- Rest, Rest, Rest!: You must let your finished roast rest for at least 30 minutes before you slice into it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast. If you cut into it too early, all those incredible juices will run out onto your cutting board, resulting in a dry roast.
Step-by-Step to the Best Stuffed Pork Roulade
This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Savory Mushroom Stuffing
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 2: In a large nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat, cook your 1 pound of sliced mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes, until they have released their liquid and are starting to brown. Push the mushrooms to one side, add a little more olive oil, and cook your minced garlic on the other side until it is fragrant. Stir everything together. Let this mixture cool completely.
Step 3: In a small bowl, combine your chopped parsley, thyme, and rosemary with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Part 2: Butterfly, Stuff, and Tie the Roulade
Step 1: To prepare your roast, place the 3 1/2- to 4-pound boneless pork loin on a cutting board. Use a large, sharp knife to carefully slice the roast open, unrolling it as you work until you have a large, thin, rectangular piece of meat.
Step 2: Season the inside of the pork generously with salt and pepper. Spread your prepared herb oil all over the top, and then top that with your cooled mushroom mixture.
Step 3: Starting at one end, tightly roll the meat back up into a log and secure the roast with kitchen twine, tying it in 1-inch intervals. Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper.
Step 4: In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add your tied roast and brown it on all sides.
Part 3: The Perfect Roast and Pan Sauce
Step 1: Place your seared roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Step 2: Start checking the internal temperature. You will know the roast is perfectly done when your instant-read thermometer inserted into the very center of the meat (not the filling) registers 135∘F.
Step 3 (The Most Important Step!): Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before you remove the twine and slice it.
Step 4: While the roast is resting, make your pan sauce. Skim off any excess fat from the juices in the roasting pan and place the pan across two burners over a medium-high heat. Add your 1/4 cup of dry sherry to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits. Pour this into a small saucepan, add your 1 cup of chicken broth, and let it simmer until it has slightly reduced. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of butter and season with salt.
To serve, carve the roast into thick, beautiful, spiral-stuffed slices and serve with the warm pan sauce.
Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Roulade (A Holiday Showstopper!)
An elegant and savory recipe for a Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Roulade, perfect as the centerpiece for a holiday dinner. This dish features a boneless pork loin roast that is butterflied and filled with a rich, earthy mixture of sautéed wild mushrooms and garlic, along with a fragrant fresh herb paste. The pork is then rolled up, tied, seared for a golden-brown crust, and roasted in the oven. A simple, flavorful pan sauce is made from the pan drippings, sherry, and chicken broth to serve alongside the sliced roast.
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound wild mushrooms (such as oyster and/or hen of the woods), trimmed and sliced
- 1 small head garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme, plus 2 sprigs
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 sprig
- 1 center-cut boneless pork loin roast (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the Filling: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 6-7 minutes, until tender and browned. Push the mushrooms to one side, add another tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir everything together, season with salt and pepper, and let it cool.
- In a small bowl, combine the parsley, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to create an herb paste.
- Prepare the Pork: Butterfly the pork loin roast by cutting it open and unrolling it into a flat, evenly thick piece of meat. Season the inside with salt and pepper.
- Spread the prepared herb paste over the surface of the pork, then top with the cooled mushroom mixture.
- Reroll the pork into a tight log and tie it in 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Season the outside with salt and pepper.
- Cook the Roast: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes total.
- Transfer the pork to a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 135°F.
- Remove the pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Make the Pan Sauce: While the pork rests, skim any excess fat from the roasting pan. Place the pan over two burners on medium-high heat and add the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Add the herb sprigs and cook for 1 minute. Pour into a small saucepan, add the chicken broth, and simmer for 4-5 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in the butter and season with salt. Strain the sauce.
- Slice the rested pork roulade and serve with the pan sauce.
Notes
- This is a showstopper main course that is perfect for a special occasion like Christmas dinner.
- Butterflying the pork loin is a key technique that allows you to create a large surface area for the delicious mushroom stuffing.
- Resting the roast for a full 30 minutes before carving is crucial for the juices to redistribute, ensuring the meat is moist and tender.
- It is important to let the mushroom filling cool before spreading it on the pork.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is the perfect make-ahead holiday meal! You can prepare the stuffing and even fully stuff, roll, and tie the unbaked roast up to 24 hours in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftover roast, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- The Best Leftovers: Thinly sliced, leftover pork loin makes the absolute best sandwiches!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a juicy, not dry, pork loin?
The two most important secrets are to not overcook it and to let it rest. Using an instant-read thermometer to pull the pork from the oven just as it reaches the perfect temperature, and then letting it rest for at least 30 minutes, are the non-negotiable keys that will guarantee an incredibly juicy and tender result.
Q2: Can I make this ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes, absolutely! The best method is to fully assemble the unbaked roast a day in advance. You can then simply sear it and pop it in the oven an hour before you plan to eat, which frees up a huge amount of time on a busy holiday.
Q3: Can I use a pork tenderloin for this recipe?
It is not recommended. A pork tenderloin is much smaller and more delicate than a pork loin, and it would cook much, much faster. It is too small to be butterflied and stuffed in this same way.
Q4: Can I use a different kind of mushroom?
Yes! If you can’t find wild mushrooms, this stuffing is absolutely delicious made with all cremini mushrooms.
Q5: What can I use instead of sherry for the pan sauce?
A dry white wine (like a Pinot Grigio) or even a flavorful chicken or mushroom broth with a splash of balsamic vinegar would all be fantastic substitutes.