Bacon Wrapped Pesto Stuffed Pork

Wrap anything in bacon and it is instantly better. Stuff anything with pesto and it is instantly better. When you do both it is an automatic 10 out of 10 meal. Pork tenderloin can really be hit or miss, but when you stuff it with pesto and cheese and case it in bacon it stays moist and soaks up all of those bold flavors. Served with crispy smashed potatoes this dinner is a home run.

I love to cook, that is the main reason why I decided to start this blog! My family and friends love tasting the delicious dishes I come up with. To this day -stuffed pork is my family's favorite recipe. The go nuts every time I make it and there are never any leftovers.

The best tip I can give you: wrap the pork tightly! It is OK if the cheese oozes out of the sides, but the tighter you wrap that pork the more moisture will stay inside resulting in a succulent and tender bite!

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Bacon Wrapped Pesto Stuffed Pork

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Pork:

• 1 lb Pork Tenderloin

• 2 cloves Minced Garlic

• Olive Oil

• 2 cups Spinach

• 1 cup Shredded Italian Cheese

• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

• 1/3 cup Pesto

• Salt & Pepper to Taste

• 1/4 cup Chopped Pine Nuts

• 1/2 tsp Fresh Rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

• 8 strips of Thin Sliced Bacon

For the Potatoes:

• 1 tbsp Baking Powder

• 1 lb Creamer Potatoes

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil

• 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese

• 1/2 tsp Fresh Rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

• Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

• 2 strips Chopped Bacon

• 1/2 cup Beef Broth

• 2 tbsp Pesto

• 2 tbsp Bourbon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the pork from the fridge and leave on the counter to come to room temperature. In a small pan cook the garlic with a bit of olive oil on medium heat until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook for about five minutes until wilted. Remove from heat.

In a medium sized bowl mix together wilted spinach, Italian cheese, Parmesan, pesto, salt & pepper, pine nuts, and rosemary.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil add one tbsp of baking powder and a large pinch of salt. Once water is boiling add potatoes and boil for 10 minutes until soft. Remove potatoes from the water and pat dry. The less moisture the crispier the potatoes will be!

While the potatoes cook butterfly the pork tenderloin. You want as flat a piece as possible. Then pound the pork until you have a nice even sheet. Stuff the pork with the cheese and spinach filling and roll it as tight as you can.

Lay the bacon on a sheet pan so the edges are touching. Place your rolled pork in the middle of the pan and wrap the bacon around the pork. Use toothpicks to secure the edges so your roll stays tight.

Heat a cast iron pan (or heavy skillet) on medium high heat until it begins to smoke. Place the bacon wrapped pork in the pan, seal side down and cook for five minutes. Turn the pork and cook for four minutes per side until all sides are brown. Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes (depending on thickness of pork) until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

While the pork cooks, toss potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, rosemary and salt & pepper to taste. Spread out on a sheet tray and push down on them with the bottom of a glass. This is what will make them nice and crisp! Bake for 25 minutes on the lower oven rack.

When the pork is done cooking, remove from the pan and allow to rest covered in tin foil for ten minutes before cutting. This will lock in the moisture.

While the pork cooks, make the sauce. In the pan the pork cooked in, render the bacon on medium heat until it begins to crisp up. Turn the heat to high and add beef broth, pesto bourbon then bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Slice the pork and serve with crispy potatoes drizzled with the sauce.

Enjoy!

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No nutritional information is available at this time.

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