Pork Tenderloin – Better with Bacon!

By Debby Goldsmith
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

I’ve heard it said often that everything is better with butter. With that, I can’t disagree! However, I also like to think that everything (almost) is better with bacon – especially pork tenderloin.

Pork tenderloin is a leaner cut of meat and that’s one of the major reasons it’s so popular. (Quick-cooking is probably a close second.) A few strips of bacon wrapped around a tenderloin can make a good thing even better.

This no-fuss recipe, always a popular one with my family, also works well for a dinner party. It’s just as easy to cook two tenderloins as it is to cook one!

I prefer to use regular sliced bacon – not the thick sliced (even if that would be my breakfast pick) – because it will wrap more easily and stretch further. Don’t worry about the bacon adding too much extra fat. It pretty much melts and drips away when grilled.

I found out the hard way to count the number of toothpicks you use to attach the bacon so you know how many to pull out after cooking. And most importantly, use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the temperature and do not overcook.

The new guidelines call for cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145°F. The temperature will continue to rise (about 5°F) once the tenderloin is removed from the grill so take it off before it hits 145°F -- it should still be slightly pink inside.

While the tenderloin is grilling outside, I have time to prepare the simple sides inside: buttered brown rice and matchstick zucchini. Look for instant brown rice for a 10-minute cook time. It has the same nutrients as the longer-cooking variety. I like to stir in some dried cranberries and parsley after the rice is cooked.

For the zucchini, make it look special by first slicing diagonally into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then stack slices and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide sticks. Sauté in butter over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Grilled Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds)
4 slices bacon
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1. Prepare grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat.
2. In cup, mix thyme, steak seasoning and garlic; use to rub all over pork. Wrap pork with bacon, slightly overlapping slices; secure with toothpicks.
3. Place pork on hot grill grate; cover grill and cook pork 15 to 18 minutes, turning occasionally, until temperature on instant-read thermometer, inserted into thickest part of pork, reaches 145°F. During last 2 to 3 minutes of grilling, brush pork with maple syrup. Transfer pork to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Remove toothpicks.

Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Recipe by Debby Goldsmith

Debby Goldsmith joined Good Housekeeping’s food department in 1973 and became the Associate Food Director in 1976. In this capacity she worked closely with the food director on all monthly features, special publications and cookbooks, and various projects. She also developed and edited recipes and appeared on GH television segments. Debby retired from the publication in 2008. Previous to Good Housekeeping, Debby worked for the Miami News and Kraft Foods. She is based in New York City.

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