Cibola Farms, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is one of my favorite meat producers at the farmers markets. Started in 1999, Cibola (pronounced cee-BOL-a) raises buffalo, pigs, goats and chickens using sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices on 300 acres of land. They offer a wide array of products including sausages and jerky. Recently, I bought a pack of Cibola's cranberry pork and buffalo sausage and decided to use it as a stuffing for pork. The taste is amazing with savory spices, sweet cranberry, and the slight gaminess of buffalo. Give it a try!

Maple Glazed Stuffed Pork Loin with a Pomegranite Balsamic and Maple Reduction Sauce

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 pork loins, about 2 1/2 pounds total

for the stuffing

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 2 cups cubed (1/2 inch) day old bread
• 1 lb. savory sausage*
• 1 cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

for the sauce

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter                         
• 1 large shallot, diced finely
• 1/2 cup pomegranite balsamic vinegar**
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger
• lemon peel
• for the glaze
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

for the stuffing
Heat pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add onions and saute until transluscent- about 5 minutes. Add sausage and brown. Chop sausage into small pieces using spatula while browning.

Add bread and stir to incorporate. Add chicken broth slowly, allowing bread to absorb the broth. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Set stuffing aside and allow to cool.

for the reduction sauce
In a pan, melt butter over medium heat and add shallots. Saute shallot until translucent; about 3-4 minutes.

Add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, chicken stock, ginger and lemon peel. simmer uncovered until the sauce has reduced by half. Set aside.

for the pork
Slice each pork loin in the middle, but not all the way through. Fold top flap over and lay loins out flat. Pound each pork loin until they are even thickness throughout. Cover one side of each pork loin with sausage stuffing (you may have some leftover --- don't over stuff). Fold top flap over stuffing and tie each pork loin with kitchen string.

Generously salt and pepper each pork loin.

In a regular (not non-stick) skillet, place olive oil and heat over high heat until the oil shimmers. Place the pork loins in skillet and brown on all sides.

Place pork loins in a roasting pan, and put into oven on the middle rack. Roast pork for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn the heat down to 325 degrees and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees (if you are uncomfortable with medium doneness for pork, continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. See chart). While pork is roasting at 325 degrees, baste it with maple syrup about 3 times.

Allow pork to rest at least 10 minutes before cutting kitchen string and slicing pork into serving pieces.

While pork is resting, reheat the reduction sauce and liberally drizzle over the pork and plate for serving.

*I used cranberry buffalo and pork sausage from Cibola Farms. Be creative!

**If you can't find pomegranite balsamic vinegar, use regular balsamic vinegar. Be creative!