Bacon Wrapped Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
A lean pork tenderloin stuffed with spicy italian pork sausages and herbs, wrapped in pieces of crispy bacon and a spicy pepper crust.
Servings: 6
Calories: 622kcal
Ingredients
- pork tenderloin - ¾ to 1 and ½ pounds (depends on how hungry your crew is)
- olive oil - 1 tablespoon
- onion - ½ small onion chopped
- garlic - 2 cloves minced
- caraway seeds - 1 teaspoon dried and ground with mortar and pestle (optional)
- italian sausage - 12 ounces removed from casing
- thyme - 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh minced
- panko breadcrumbs or crushed pork rinds for low carb options - ¾ cup (or can exchange with gluten free bread crumbs)
- bacon - 6-8 slices (or enough slices to wrap the entire pork tenderloin)
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat grill
- Cut pork tenderloin in half but not all the the way through length wise and fillet open.
- Pound pork tenderloin until flat.
- In a medium frying pan place a little olive oil, onion, garlic and ground caraway and fry until aromatic. Add Italian sausage removed from casing and cook until browned. Add the panko breadcrumbs (or crushed pork rinds for low carb) to the Italian sausage mixture and cook until slightly toasted. Add thyme. Remove from heat and allow to cool. (If you like spicy add a ½ teaspoon of crushed red peppers or use spicy Italian sausage)
- Place the sausage mixture on top of the fillet of pork tenderloin and leave about 1 inch around all sides.
- Tightly wrap the pork tenderloin into a roll.
- Start at one side and wrap bacon around the pork tenderloin that is stuffed with sausage. Overlap and use the bacon to secure the pork tenderloin from coming apart. Use about 6- 8 pieces of bacon to cover. It depends on the size of your pork tenderloin. Add lots of fresh cracked pepper to top of bacon.
- On low medium grill cook Bacon wrapped sausage stuffed pork tenderloin for about 20-30 minutes or until internal thermometer reads 145-150 and then let the meat rest under foil for about 10 minutes before carving.
- Serve Bacon wrapped Sausage Stuffed pork tenderloin with vegetables, salad or cooked apples. If you have loads of meat and potatoes lovers in your home then a nice side of baked rosemary potatoes would be welcomed. Enjoy!
OVEN Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
- After you complete step 7 (wrapping the stuffed pork tenderloin in bacon and season) Sear your pork tenderloin in a pan on the stove top on all sides on medium high heat.
- Transfer bacon wrapped sausage stuffed pork loin into the oven and cook for about 25 - 30 minutes or until internal thermometer reads 145-150 degrees and then let the meat rest under foil for about 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
You can prep your Bacon Wrapped Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloins up to the point of wrapping it up in bacon and then wrap it up and place in the refrigerator up to 24 hours in advance.
I used mild Italian sausage as that is what I had on hand but you could also use spicy Italian sausage or even add some red pepper flakes to give it a little kick. You can also feel free to exchange out the panko bread crumbs with gluten free Homemade bread crumbs. If you want to go low carb, you can exchange the bread crumbs with crushed pork rinds.
There is no need to be sticking any toothpicks into this delicious Bacon Wrapped Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloin as the bacon is the perfect tie-strap to hold this dish together.
The most important thing to note is to cook your Bacon Wrapped Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloin low and slow. You will also want to cook the pork indirectly on the grill. We have a second rack on our grill that is further away from the flame on our gas grill. If you are cooking on a charcoal grill, place on the side of the grill that is not as hot.
Do NOT overcook the pork! Use a meat thermometer. Take the Bacon Wrapped Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloin off the grill when the temperature reading is between 145-150 degrees celsius. Then, allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. There is no reason to cook your pork to the consistency of shoe leather and then a few minutes more. According to the USDA, safe pork minimum cooking temperature is 145 degrees. Then, of course, the pork continues to cook for the next 10 minutes while it is resting off the grill.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g | Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 946g | Fat: 221g | Cholesterol: 267mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 1549mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g