VIDEO RECIPE: Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Tom Valenti, chef and owner of Ouest in New York City, loves pork and bacon as much as I do, which is probably why I like his cooking so much. In this recipe, the bacon bastes the pork tenderloin keeping it extra moist and delicious. Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with White Bean Salad and Grilled Asparagus

For the Pork Tenderloin

Equipment
2 sheets parchment paper
1 teflon pan (sauté)

Ingredients (for six people as an entrée)
6 pork tenderloin, trimmed and 2” of tail removed

8 oz. bacon, sliced very thin (have your butcher do this – pre-sliced will not do)

Salt, pepper, and ground coriander to taste

Procedure
1. Place one piece of parchment paper on a work surface. Working from side to side, place slices of bacon slightly overlapping. Cover with second piece of parchment, and repeat if necessary.

2. Season pork with the salt, pepper and coriander. Starting with one tenderloin, place the pork “cylinder” at the end of the sliced bacon perpendicular to the slices of the bacon and, rolling away from you, wrap the bacon around the pork. Repeat one by one.

3. To cook the pork, place the tenderloins one or two at time in a cold Teflon pan. (It is very important the wrapped tenderloin is placed seam side down. In other words, where the bacon ends. If you don’t sear the “seam” side first, the bacon will shrink and unravel from the meat.) Turn the flame to medium-high and allow the seal to adhere (2-3 minutes) then brown on all sides. Repeat process, allowing pan to cool down between batches. (This can be done up to 3 or 4 hours in advance.)

4. To finish cooking, finish on grill or in 400° oven to desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes. (The meat cooks evenly throughout, so simply slice off the end to determine doneness.)

For the White Bean Salad

Equipment
Large bowl

Sauce pan

Ingredients
1 lb white beans

1 carrot

2 stalks celery (1 whole stalk, and 1 thinly sliced on a bias)

1 dried bay leaf

2 oz extra virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, small dice

Zest of 2 lemons

Salt, pepper

Procedure
1. Soak beans overnight in a large bowl of water.

2. Drain and put beans, carrot, 1 whole stalk of celery and bay leaf in a sauce pan, cover with water (water should be at least one inch above the surface of the beans) and simmer for between 1 to 1 ¼ hours. Cook until soft by not mushy. When done, turn off flame and add three big pinches of salt, stir and let set for 10 minutes. Drain and cool uncovered in the refrigerator

3 .Place the cooled beans a bowl, add sliced celery, diced onion, lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper

For the Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus, bottoms trimmed

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

Procedure
1. Place the asparagus in a shallow bowl, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, add the lemon zest and salt and pepper. Mix well

2. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes