We had some friends over this weekend and this was the main course and it was a hit needless to say so thought I would share the recipe. Could not find fresh figs this time of year so we substituted with some semi-dried ones we found at Whole Paycheck. We used the smaller "center cut" tenderloins and not the ginormous whole pork tenderloins. Much easier to work with for this particular recipe. If you can't find "micro mustard greens" any spicy green will work like watercress. We grilled ours over charcoal with a few pieces of dry pecan wood thrown in for more flavor (my favorite smoking wood). We doubled the recipe (2 center cut pork tenderloins).
We served with some roasted potatoes on the side and it paired well with a couple of bottles of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Someday my own Pinot Noir......
Bon Appetit' !
Bacon Wrapped Fig & Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 fresh figs, small dice
1 pork tenderloin
3-6 slices of bacon (will vary depending on size of tenderloin and type of bacon)
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Prepare grill to medium heat.
In a small bowl, combine the diced figs and crumbled blue cheese. Toss to evenly distribute.
Butterfly the pork tenderloin by slicing lengthwise almost all the way through then open the meat up like a book. Season all surfaces of the pork liberally with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Evenly distribute the fig/blue cheese mixture down the middle of the seasoned butterflied pork leaving about 1/2 inch of space on the edges. Roll the pork back up into the shape of the tenderloin, encasing the stuffing with the meat. Using 5 to 6 toothpicks, securely fasten the pork back together at the edges.
Wrap the stuffed tenderloin evenly with the slices of bacon, securing them to the existing toothpick. You can use more toothpicks to secure the bacon if necessary but the fewer the better!
Place the bacon wrapped tenderloin on the preheated grill, directly over the heat. Grill about 20- 25 minutes or until an internal thermometer in the middle of the meat reads 140 degrees, turning the meat occasionally to crisp the bacon evenly on all sides. (At 140 degrees there will still be a small trace of pink left in the meat.)
Once the pork is at the desired level of done-ness, remove from the grill. Let the pork rest, covered loosely in foil, for 10 minutes before slicing. To serve drizzle w/ Pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe follows). Enjoy!
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate Molasses
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus extra
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra
2 tbsp canola oil
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. While continuously whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle in the canola oil to form an emulsified vinaigrette. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust seasonings as desired with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Note: If the vinaigrette is too tart for your liking, simply whisk in more canola oil.
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