We just can’t get enough of pork tenderloin. It is delicious, easy to prepare, and we basically just wanted another recipe that would let us use our ‘pork tenderloin looks like a giant penis’ humor.
This is a gussied and tied up (literally) version of our simple herb crusted pork tenderloin. We kick it up a notch with the sweet pears that makes this slightly pornographic cut of meat very, VERY rich.
There really isn’t anything to not love about this dish. I mean, pork stuffed with more pork? Too easy… But yeah, on the serious, this dish will knock your toe-socks off. You should probably pair it with something best described as “bland.” Such as a simple potato dish, bread, or that middle child that, let’s face it, isn’t your favorite.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim meat of excess fat and make a cut lengthwise into the meat, but not all the way through, opening up to resemble a book. Cover with saran wrap or wax paper and pound until it is approximately 1/2″ thick. This is a great stress reliever, but don’t get crazy. Set aside. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until slightly crispy. Remove bacon and reserve about 1 tablespoon of the grease in the skillet. Add the diced pears and green onions and sauté until the pears soften and the onions become fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add coarsely chopped bacon, spinach, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly. Pour stuffing mixture onto flattened tenderloin and push it into a line along the center of the meat. Working from the center out, roll up tenderloin until edges meet and secure tightly with twine at 1 inch intervals. Mix together peppercorns and an additional 1/2 tablespoon of salt and rub all over meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat just to the point of smoking. Carefully add tenderloin to pan and sear on all 4 sides for a minute or so per side. Next, place entire skillet in preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes or until an inserted meat thermometer registers 140 degrees. Remove from oven and let for rest 10-15 minutes. Cut strings and slice loin into medallions.
serves 4