Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Butterfly two pork tenderloins, pound them between parchment to less than ½-inch thick, and lay them side by side on a rectangle of bacon strips. Season, then cover with Swiss cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and blanched asparagus, and roll everything up jelly roll style. Set the roll seam side down in an oiled baking dish, brush with ketchup stirred into balsamic vinegar, and bake at 375° until the pork reads 145°, then rest 5 minutes and cut into 1-inch slices.
A whole pork tenderloin is a blank canvas, and this one is dressed for company: butterflied and filled with a savory stuffing, rolled tight, and wrapped snugly in bacon before roasting. The bacon bastes the lean pork as it cooks and crisps into a burnished shell, while a glaze lacquers the outside. Sliced into pinwheels, it reveals a spiral of stuffing that looks far more difficult than it is.
Butterfly, Stuff & Wrap
The build is the fun part. Butterfly the two tenderloins and pound them into an even sheet, spread the stuffing over it, and roll it back into a tight cylinder so the filling spirals through the center. The bacon goes down first, laid out under the pork, so rolling wraps the whole roast in a snug coat — the bacon holds everything together and bastes the lean pork from the outside in. Secure it if you like, and it is ready for the oven.
Glaze & Roast
Roast it hot enough to crisp the bacon while keeping the pork juicy, brushing on the glaze before it goes into the oven. Pork tenderloin is lean and cooks quickly, so an instant-read thermometer is your friend — pull it at 145°F and let it rest, where the temperature carries up and the juices settle. Slice it into thick pinwheels to show off the spiral of stuffing within.
Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°.
- Drizzle the olive oil into a large baking dish.
- Lay the tenderloins onto your work surface. Butterfly each one by cutting lengthwise three-fourths of the way through—not all the way. Open each one as you would a book.
- Place the butterflied tenderloins between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound them to less than ½-inch thickness, then arrange them side by side to form a rectangle.
- Lay out the bacon strips on a piece of parchment or waxed paper to form a rectangle the same size as the tenderloins. You will have to cut some of the bacon strips in half to make them fit.
- Lay the tenderloins on top of the bacon.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the cheese slices over the tenderloins.
- Cover with sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus.
- Roll the bacon and tenderloins around the filling, jelly roll style.
- Place the roll seam side down in the baking dish. The roll should hold together just fine, but if yours is a little bit loosey goosey, just tie it in a few places with butcher twine.
- Stir together the ketchup and balsamic vinegar. Brush the sauce over the roll.
- Bake until a thermometer inserted into the pork reads 145° for medium-rare, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Let the roll sit for 5 minutes.
- Cut into 1-inch slices and serve!
The Heart of the Table
There is a quiet pride in setting down a roast that looks like it took all day and carving it into gorgeous spirals for the people at your table. To take a humble tenderloin and dress it with care — stuffing, bacon, glaze — is a generous way to make an ordinary dinner feel like an occasion worth gathering for.
The Art of the Host
A sharp knife for butterflying and an instant-read thermometer are the two things that guarantee success. Roll the roast tightly so the stuffing stays put, wrap the bacon with a little overlap so it crisps into a solid shell, and rest the pork before slicing so it stays juicy. If the bacon needs more color at the end, a minute under the broiler crisps it beautifully.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: You can butterfly, stuff, and wrap the tenderloin a few hours ahead and keep it chilled, so the only live step is the roast. It also rests well, holding its heat while you finish sides, and any leftovers slice cold into a wonderful sandwich the next day.
- The Pour: A fruit-forward red like Zinfandel or a Pinot Noir plays off the sweet glaze and smoky bacon. For a non-alcoholic option, a spiced apple cider or a dark cherry soda echoes the sweet-savory glaze.
- The Vibe: This is a handsome, carve-at-the-table roast — fan the pinwheel slices on a platter so everyone sees the spiral, and serve it with a simple potato and a green vegetable. It is celebratory without being fussy, right for a Sunday dinner or a small gathering.