This smoked pork loin is stuffed with fresh figs and blue cheese filling.  Served with a apple cider pan sauce and roasted Brussel sprouts!  I have fallen in love with figs.  They are so beautiful, juicy and full of flavor.  If you add them to a tart, a pie, a cheesecake or even wings or a pork loin….sweet or savory, they add a certain elegance to the dish.  

Ingredients:
2.2 lb pork loin roast
​1 cup fresh figs, chopped

• 1 cup bourbon
• 2 heads roasted garlic cloves squeezed out
• 8 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped ​
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs, like a thyme, rosemary and oregano combo
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• Rub
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat smoker to 225F. Preheat oven to 400F.
Roast garlic bulb, slice top off garlic and brush with olive 
Prepare Pork by butterflying pork loin cutting into center and opening like a book.  Hammer to even thickness. 

• Place the figs in a bowl. Heat the bourbon in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it’s simmering, then pour the bourbon over the figs and let them sit for 4 to 5 minutes. In the meantime, spread the roasted garlic cloves out over the inside of the pork.  Add chopped, fresh figs that were soaked in bourbon on top of the roasted garlic, followed by the crumbled blue cheese and then chopped fresh sage. Tightly roll up the pork loin and tie it together with kitchen twine. Season the entire outside with the salt and pepper, the herbs and rub with mixture of maple syrup, vinegar and the brown sugar. Smoke until the center of the pork reaches 120, about an hour. Then place in oven at 450F on a rack over a roasting pan.  Cook until center reaches 140F and the outside of the pork is golden in color.  Served with roasted Brussel sprouts, fresh figs and a pan sauce made from the collected juices, 1/4 cup of apple cider. squeeze of lemon, 1/4 cup chicken stock, fresh herbs and butter. Reduce until it pan sauce is a gravy like consistency.  Enjoy!