The finest way to enjoy a pork tenderloin is to double up on the pig by wrapping it in bacon for extra flavour and juiciness. Glaze with homemade teriyaki and you have a meal fit for a King.
Start by trimming any sinew and connective tissue of the tenderloin. form into an even log shape by folding the tail part back into the centre as shown in figure 1.
Lay the bacon out by overlapping each piece halfway as shown in picture 2. Lay the pork on top.
Start rolling up the meat and bacon as shown in picture 3.
You should now have a tight bacn wrapped pork tenderloin ready for cooking. To make sure it does not all unravel while cooking, wrap it in cling wrap and place into the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
Cooking the pork
Heat a large frying pan and add a bit of oil and salt to the pan. When hot and starting to smoke place then pork into the pan. Meanwhile, turn the oven to 230°C or 446°F.
Sear on all sides using a pair of kitchen tongs to turn the meat carefully every minute or so.
When the bacon has crisped up nicely all around the tenderloin, place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush with teriyaki if you are using it(which I recommend). Roast in the oven and glaze with more teriyaki once the previous layer has started to caramelise, repeating 4 or 5 times until the pork has reached an internal temperature of 58°C or 136°F. Check the internal temperature of the meat every 3 minutes to make sure you monitor how the pork is cooking.
Resting, slicing and serving
Once the pork has reached an internal temperature of 58°C or 136°F, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
During this time the internal temperature of the meat will rise to 62°C or 147°F. This is because the residual heat keeps on penetrating the meat from the outsides in until the temperature normalises and settles.
It's at this moment you want to cut the meat and serve it. Do not throw away any juices that settle on the baking sheet. This is absolute gold and you want to pour this over the meat when you serve it.
Notes
Do not overcook the meat. Slightly pink is desirable and safe.
Buy pork from reputable suppliers.
You can substitute the pork for any other meat or cook without the bacon.
See post for serving suggestions.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When you reheat it make sure to do so gently as you do not want the meat to dry out.