Pesto Pork Loin

This is a recipe that my brilliant wife came up with after playing with something she found online. The pork is succulent and extremely flavorful. If you don't have pesto, the pork is still very flavorful without it. The original recipe didn't call for it. I want to note that sometimes my thermometer would read the pork to be done and it would come out pink. After taking temps in several places throughout the pork loin, and making sure the pesto is also at a 'done' temp, it resolved the problem. Also, don't try to attempt the pesto stuffing step with unfrozen pesto because it just makes a huge mess.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3 -4  lbs  pork loin
• 6  bay leaves
• 2  tablespoons  minced garlic
• 1⁄4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh thyme
• 2  tablespoons seasoning salt
• 1⁄2 cup basil pesto

Directions

1. Spoon pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze for at least an hour. (Freezing pesto in ice cube trays and keeping the pesto cubes in freezer bags is a great way to store pesto and to have in off-season).
2. Preheat oven to 400F°.
3. Take a long knife and cut two holes, evenly spaced, into the loin.
4. Insert frozen pesto into the holes.
5. Lay out bay leaves on pan and place pork loin on top.
6. Rub loin with seasoning salt and spoon minced garlic over top.
7. Chop fresh thyme and add vinager in a pouring container.
8. Slowly pour a small amount onto the loin making sure not to cause the garlic to fall off.
9. Place in the oven, checking every 15 minutes and pouring more of the vinegar over the top.
10. Cook for 2 hours.