Like seemingly everybody this time of year, now and again we finding ourselves reaching for a pork tenderloin or two when the weather isn’t cooperating in terms of grilling or smoking some delectable protein outdoors.
Pork tenderloins can be the kitchen masters’ best friend – they’re typically perfectly sized for a family or a couple + leftovers, they’re readily available, for the most part of excellent quality these days, won’t break the bank, and damned tasty – if prepared carefully.
The critical caveat with pork tenderloins of course is that they’re very, very lean – leaner than chicken breasts – and if you’re not careful with prep and cooking, can fairly quickly head into the shoe leather zone.
We’ve fiddled with a ton of preps over the years, and while a cumin-dusted, grilled-to-pink-in-the-middle pork tenderloin might still be my all time favorite, this Honey Glazed, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin has to be a close second on the list.
This recipe is childlike in its simplicity and what isn’t better wrapped in the revered king of all things pork: bacon? The quick sear before wrapping the bacon covering helps lock in moistness, and the bacon, as it roasts in the oven, slowly adds flavor and moisture as the bacon renders.
Add the honey (or maple syrup – the real stuff) to compliment the PT’s natural sweetness and play off the salt in the bacon is the icing on the cake for this, though basting with the honey and pan juices a couple of times in the oven and then again as it rests adds a depth of flavor that’s quite unexpected and really puts it over the top.
Don’t let winter get you down – try this one on for size next family meal.
1 lb (+/-) pork tenderloin, trimmed w/ silverskin removed, room temp.
8-12 slices good, streaky bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp good honey or real maple syrup
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Preheat your trusty oven to 390.
Trim the pork, season well with salt and pepper; tuck the thin end under so that the tenderloin is roughly the same diameter for its entire length.
Lay the bacon out, perpendicular to your cutting board long edge, slightly overlapping. Make sure the width of the bacon mat you’ve just created is roughly the same width as the tenderloin is long.
Heat the EVOO in an ovenproof pan over high heat, then sear the pork quickly on all sides until perfectly browned.
Now lay the pork on the bacon mat you’ve built, perpendicular to the orientation of the bacon strips. Use a knife to begin the rolling of the bacon around the tenderloin, wrap the entire tenderloin, then place seam side down back in the same pan.
Drizzle with the honey and use a pastry brush to coat the entire tenderloin with the honey.
Roast for 27-28 minutes, basting twice with the melting honey and pan juices. Remove from the oven, baste, let rest for 5-6 minutes and baste one more time.
Cut into medallions and go to it.
Enjoy.
