roast pork loin stuffed with apple ginger chutney: pumping iron - kitchen style.

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I love my dutch oven. No, not the crude joke that makes little kids giggle (though both involve steaming inside a closed chamber), but my oh so manly thick-walled hunk of cast iron goodness. The first time I roasted in it resulted in my first roastgasm involving carnitas (mexican pulled pork). It was phenomenal. And it gets better every time. 
Dutch ovens are so loved that there is even an International Dutch Oven Society and dang, do they take themselves seriously. They have their own online store where you can buy almost any piece of paraphernalia with IDOS on it - even camouflage baseball caps are stocked that you can purchase from the society - for all those cook outs you will be doing while hunting. The society is located in Utah. But of course, I'm not making any assumptions. Though if Dick Cheney was a part of the organization, I think that is the exact thing he would buy.

So the other night, when I accompanied my boyfriend as he went to do some work at his aunt's house, I decided to bring along my ol' trusty pot. So, fulfilling sexist stereotypes, I went inside and made dinner while he sanded and scraped to make some furniture look spic and span.   
 So while he was outside doing some dirty work, I was inside (with an apron on) just reveling in my little iron wonder. The oven itself does merit a society - they produce such an amazing myriad of dishes, and all with little to no effort. I think the cliche - 'just throw it all in a pot' - originated with the dutch oven.
The original crock pots, these ovens date back as far as the Iron age (though at that time they weren't made out of metal, it was too expensive; they were clay). The name itself has its origins in the 1600s (when they were growing in popularity) and the way cast iron versions were created cheaply by the Dutch - as they were exported throughout the world, the name stuck (there is still dispute concerning the origin of the name, but this is the most widely accepted theory). It is really an oven - not just a pot. It can not only make stews, soups, and roasts, but also breads and even cake. There are similar cooking vessels used throughout the world - they are also called 'casserole dishes', tagines, potjie, and bedourie.

Roast Pork Loin stuffed with Apple Ginger Chutney

2 tbs. olive oil
1 small onion
4 cloves ginger (minced)
1/4 c. wine
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 med. apples
1/2 c candied ginger
pinch cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chicken stock
3 tbs. brown sugar

1, 1lb, pork loin (trimmed of all but a little fat)
salt and pepper
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Brown the onion and garlic in the olive oil for several minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 30 mins, or until apples are completely soft.
2. Make a hole in center of roast by making a horizontal 1 1/2-inch-wide cut into 1 end with a long thin knife - make sure the pocket runs all the way through: widen it by cutting a slit (in the end it will make an x). Push chutney into the pocket all the way through (put as much as you can in it). Any that is left over - serve with the slices of pork.
3. Rub the roast all over with salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil. Sear roast on the stove (in the dutch oven) until all sides are brown. Put the roast in the oven, cover and bake 30 mins.
4. Remove from oven and let sit, covered, for 20 minutes. (meat will be slightly pink)
Serve with remaining chutney. 

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