Sharing this one before the holidays because this is a recipe you can use to really impress people. Anything involving kitchen twine immediately elevates the appearance of a difficult and skilled preparation. But I swear this is easy!

When I was menu-planning for this “dinner party” I started flipping through my backlog of food magazines. At some point I think I subscribed to Cooking Light and Food and Wine because I had airline miles that were about to expire and this was how I could use them?! Dumb. Southwest all the way.

Anyway. I found it interesting that this recipe would be featured in Cooking Light because layering different preparations of pork doesn’t seem all that health-conscious to me (to be fair, I added the breadcrumbs and the cheese). But then I was scrolling through Facebook and saw one of those cooking videos advertising the following as a “low-carb snack!”:

Arrange salami on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until crispy. Mix mayonnaise with a bunch of spices to disguise the fact that it is actually just mayonnaise. Dip and enjoy!

Do people really think this is healthier than allowing yourself a serving of pasta or bread? I don’t understand. I’m also gagging imagining dipping salami into mayo but if you’re on Atkins, feel free to share your experience of eating this way.

The good news is, if you ARE going for a low-carb diet, this dish actually applies. And I don’t have to try the salami and mayo thing to tell you this is better.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

adapted from Cooking Light

1 pork tenderloin

1/4lb prosciutto

1 bunch broccoli rabe

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Butterfly the pork tenderloin by slicing it in half but not all the way through. Cover with plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer (or in my case, a wine bottle) to smack it down and thin it out a bit.

Cover with slices of prosciutto. Pork on pork. The GS commented that perhaps they came from the same pig. I imagine vegans have already decided to skip this post.

Chop the broccoli rabe and saute in a little olive oil with the garlic. I typically add a splash of water to the pan, too, to help it steam. Broccoli rabe has a pretty strong flavor, so if you’re not into it you could try spinach as a substitute.

Once the greens have cooked down, remove from heat and add the breadcrumbs and cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste. You could stop right here because this is the only way I want to eat broccoli rabe from here on out.

Place some of the broccoli rabe on top of the prosciutto layer. Not too much because you have to roll it up, but as previously mentioned having leftovers of the rabe is more than okay.

Carefully roll up the tenderloin and secure with kitchen twine.

Season with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides until brown, then bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Slice and serve.

It seems high maintenance but it actually came together pretty quickly and easily. We served it as an appetizer because one tenderloin is not enough for 6 people for an entree, but you could do two of them or serve this as your main course for a smaller group.

Side of mayo for dipping? Okay no.