Pork Roast with Winter Fruits and Port Sauce

Ingredients

• 0.3 pound california apricots dried cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons tapioca/arrowroot flour 
• 1  tart apple such as granny smith peeled cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 6 pound pork loin roast bone-in at room temperature (10 ribs)
• 0.5 cup ruby port 
• 0.3 pound prune- cut to pieces pitted cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small shallots finely chopped
• 0.8 stick butter unsalted
• 1.5 cups water divided

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• sieve
• roasting pan
• wooden spoon
• kitchen thermometer
• aluminum foil
• cutting board

Directions

1. Simmer apricots, prunes, and Port in a small heavy saucepan, covered, 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
3. Cook onion and shallot in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add apple and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until apple is just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in apricot mixture and cool.
5. Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
6. Make a pocket in center of roast by making a horizontal 1 1/2-inch-wide cut into 1 end of roast with a long thin knife, repeating from opposite end so pocket runs all the way through. Then make a vertical cut through center (forming a cross) to widen pocket. Push about 1 cup stuffing into pocket using a long-handled wooden spoon (you may need to stuff from both sides if roast is long). Reserve remaining stuffing for sauce.
7. Season roast with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and put in a large flameproof roasting pan. Wrap with bacon, between rib bones, tucking ends under roast. Roast pork 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 325°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of roast (do not touch bone or stuffing) registers 155°F, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours total.
8. Transfer roast to a cutting board, reserving pan, and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature of meat will rise to about 160°F; meat will be slightly pink.)
9. Skim fat from pan drippings and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Straddle pan across 2 burners and add Port to drippings, then deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.
10. Cook shallot in reserved fat in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in pan juices, 1 1/4 cups water, and reserved fruit stuffing and bring to a simmer.
11. Whisk together arrowroot and remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth, then whisk into sauce with any juices from cutting board.
12. Simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
13. Carve roast into chops by cutting between ribs, then serve with sauce.
14. •Stuffing can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.•Uncooked roast improves in flavor if stuffed, seasoned, and wrapped with bacon 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before roasting.