Instructions: With a long thin knife, carefully push a hole longitudinally through a loin strip. Be careful not to come out the side. With your fingers gently open the hole to about 2 inches in diameter. Set the loins aside and combine all the other ingredients in a bowl. Now take the filling and stuff the hole in the loins. Be careful to fill completely. The loins should be about 3 inches in diameter when filled. Some filling may come out the sides in places, but that is OK. Push it back in and mold the loin with your hands to make a cylinder about 8 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. Place the stuffed loins on a rack** in a covered roaster or baking dish and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for40 minutes. Slice the loins into 1/2 inch thick rounds, garnish with sauce and cilantro sprigs and serve.

**Use a rack to keep loins up, out of the oily drippings.

Sauce:
6 Italian pear tomatoes, peeled
1 cup Mexican salsa, jarred or fresh
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 med. onion, diced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup red wine

Saute the onions and shallots in the olive oil. add the other ingredients and simmer for about 45 minutes until the sauce is reduced to a thick salsa concistency.

Roasted Garlic or Onion
o Peel outer skin layer from head of fresh garlic or onion, leaving cloves and head intact. With a sharp knife cut off the top of the head of garlic or onion, about 1/4 inch. Place head on aluminum foil; top with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and a sprig of fresh rosemary or oregano [or 1/4 teaspoon dried]. Fold up and seal. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 55-60 minutes. Squeeze cloves from skins and set aside. Discard skins. Slice onion.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.