Cubano stuffed pork tenderloin has all the flavor of the classic sandwich, without the carbs! It’s rolled with mustard, ham, cheese, and pickles, then grilled to perfection.
A Cubano, but make it low carb!
I was craving a Cuban sandwich the other day, but Shawn has been following a low carb diet so we haven’t been eating a lot of bread. Enter, Cubano stuffed pork loin!
That’s right, I rolled ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and mustard into a pork tenderloin marinated in garlicky mojo. Then I threw it on the grill until it was charred on the outside and gooey on the inside.
It was the best damn pork loin I’ve ever eaten. It was so juicy and flavorful! I’ll be making this keto pork tenderloin all summer long. It would be perfect for the 4th of July!
To keep our meal low carb, I served this stuffed pork tenderloin loin with grilled asparagus and mashed cauliflower. If you aren’t watching carbs, slide a slice right onto a burger bun for a super awesome Cuban style sandwich. Leftovers – if you have any – are delicious straight from the fridge.
If you love Cuban flavors, you’ll also love these Cuban-Style Beef Lettuce Wraps with Pickled Onions (Paleo, Whole 30, Dairy Free) or Cuban Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice.
How to stuff and tie pork loin:
Stuffed pork tenderloin so much easier to make than it looks! First, you’ll want to butterfly your pork and pound it really thin. Hold a sharp knife parallel to your cutting board and split to pork nearly in half, length-wise. It should open like a book.
Next, cover the pork with plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet until it’s about ½ inch thick. Layer on your stuffing ingredients – mustard, pickles, ham, and Swiss cheese for this recipe – then, starting at the long side, tightly roll the pork around the filling.
To keep the fillings secure, you’ll need to tie the pork tenderloin with kitchen twine. You can use short pieces of twine and knot each one at the top, or use one long piece and twist it around itself to secure it every time it comes around the top.
Here’s a video that shows you how to cut and tie the pork tenderloin:
If you don’t have twine, you can use toothpicks to keep everything closed up tightly. In a pinch, unwaxed and unflavored dental floss with also does the job.
How to grill a stuffed pork Tenderloin:
To grill the stuffed pork tenderloin, heat your grill to high heat. Place the pork on the grill, seam-side down, then grill for 4 minutes on each side, or until deeply browned and charred. Next, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook the pork over indirect heat for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer shows that it’s reached an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
Remove the pork from the grill and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before removing the twine and slicing it.
How to bake a stuffed pork Tenderloin:
If you don’t have a grill or the weather isn’t cooperating, you can also bake this Cubano pork loin in the oven.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place the pork seam-side down in a roasting pan. Bake 10 minutes, or until the pork begins to brown. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake 45-55 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees. As with the grilled tenderloin, you’ll want to be sure to let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
looking for more ways to cook pork loin? Try this German-inspired pork loin slow cooker recipe .
Cubano Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin loin
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 orange juiced
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ pound sliced ham
- ¼ pound sliced Swiss cheese
- ½ cup dill pickles sliced
Instructions
- Butterfly the pork tenderloin and pound it to a 1/2-inch thickness. Place the pork in a shallow dish. Cover with the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, and garlic; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Remove the pork from the marinade and place it on a cutting board. Spread the pork with mustard, then layer it with ham and Swiss. Scatter the pickles over the cheese. Starting at the long end, tightly roll the pork around the filling; secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks.
- Heat your grill to high. Place the pork onto the grill, seam-side down. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Reduce heat to medium low; cook the pork loin over indirect heat for 20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150-155 degrees. (You can also make this stuffed pork loin in the oven: Bake it for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then cook at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until it's cooked through.)
- Remove the pork tenderloin from the grill and tent it with foil. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes, then remove the twin and slice into rounds.
There is a huge difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin. The pictures look like tenderloin, but you call it both throughout the recipe. Which is it?
I am making this Monday. Do you think marinating it overnight would be ok?
Yes!