Let’s take a moment to appreciate how juicy that piece of tenderloin is.

I found this recipe on Foodwishes.com and decided to make it for my mom’s birthday. Tenderloin can be difficult to work with because it’s so lean and dries out easily. The recipe, however, yielded an aromatic and tender roast with little effort.

Note: Chop the rosemary very finely. I thought a food processor would do the trick but the fresh rosemary was too tough for the blades. I tried a mortar and pestle – still didn’t work. I ended up biting into big chunks of rosemary while I was eating and really didn’t enjoy it.

This rub was so fragrant that it made me sneeze.

Trim off any connective tissue or fat from the pork.

Time to get your hands dirty.

Bacon? Yes please.

The fat from the bacon will help keep the tenderloin moist.

Oh! Bonus garlic bread recipe!

But back to the main dish:

So many yes’s.

By the way, that’s baby kale sauteed with 1 clove of crushed garlic, vegetable oil, and salt.

Go make these and impress your friends and family, or impress yourself because you didn’t screw up on an expensive cut of meat.

But seriously, the sage, garlic, rosemary, and hint of lemon with the juicy tenderloin and smoky bacon is a combination worth trying.

Tenderloin Porchetta

From Foodwishes.com “‘New Year’s Baby’ Porchetta”

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook time: 20-25 minutes | Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork tenderloin roast, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds

about 8 strips bacon or enough to wrap

For the spice rub:

1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

3 cloves sliced garlic

1 tablespoon finely sliced sage leaves

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

zest from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Add fennel seeds, garlic, sage leaves, and rosemary to a food processor or mortar and pestle. Process until fine. Add black pepper, salt, lemon zest, and olive oil and continue to process until well incorporated. The mixture should look like a rough paste. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth.
2. Trim pork tenderloin if needed. Cut a pocket along the length of the tenderloin, starting and ending an inch from the tips and not cutting completely through the meat. Spread 1/3 of the spice rub evenly in the pocket. Close the pocket and spread the remaining rub on the outside of the tenderloin.
3. Place the tenderloin seam side down. Starting from the end, wrap a single layer of bacon around the tenderloin. Try to start and end each strip of bacon at the bottom of the tenderloin, where the seam is. That way the weight of the tenderloin will keep the bacon wrapped when it cooks. For more information, watch the video on Foodwishes.com.
4. Wrap and chill the pork in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until serving.
5. When ready to serve, unwrap the pork and place it on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been lightly oiled. Roast at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 134 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. This helps to keep the juices in the meat.
7. Place the porchetta on a cutting board, slice and serve. You can spoon the pan drippings onto the porchetta slices for extra moisture and flavor.

For the garlic bread: 

1 loaf of french bread (not baguette), about 1-1 1/2 feet

4 tablespoon of softened unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cloves of garlic, minced.

1. Slice the bread horizontally along the length. Place both halves cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet.
2. Add salt and minced garlic to softened butter and mix until well combined. Spread evenly on the bread.
3. Set oven to “broil” and place the bread on the upper-middle rack of the oven for 3-4 minutes. The bread burns easily so keep a constant eye on it.
4. Remove from oven, slice up and serve.

Honestly though, just put as much garlic and salt as you want in some unsalted butter, spread over some bread, toast, and BAM you get garlic bread. No recipe needed.

Enjoy!  

S & A