Make Ahead

Maple-Glazed Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

by:
March 24, 2012
4.6
7 Ratings
Maple-Glazed Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Serves 6 to 8
Author Notes

The TV show "Chopped" comes to mind as the genesis of this recipe. Getting ready to return to our cottage in Lake Lure, North Carolina, for the spring and summer, the refrigerator and pantry needed to be emptied here at home in Florida. Frozen pork tenderloins, dried figs and apples, a bottle of pear nectar, and pure maple syrup were the basics with which I had to work. Granted, there was no disparate mystery ingredient in my basket, but I was determined not to buy one new thing.

My inspiration was a stuffed pork tenderloin from a fellow blogger that I had seen a few years ago. But the similarities are few.

The maple syrup is used both in the stuffing and drizzled over the tenderloins to create a beautiful glaze. The stuffing is sweet to complement the pork and the wrapped bacon cloak adds a hint of smoke to the meat. This is a company-worthy dish. —lakelurelady

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Lakelurelady blogs from the kitchen of her cottage in North Carolina.
WHAT: An impressive, super-satisfying, and slightly sweet stuffed pork tenderloin—wrapped in bacon.
HOW: Make a stuffing from fresh and dried fruit, nuts, breadcrumbs, maple syrup, and pear nectar. Roll it up in butterflied pork tenderloin, then wrap it all in bacon and roast away.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This roast is a keeper. We loved the stuffing (and saved the extra to bake in a separate dish!), as well as the complementary layers of flavor from the fruit, maple, bacon, and pork. And the "bacon blanket" helped keep the meat super moist! —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the stuffing:
  • 2 apples
  • 1 cup chopped dried figs
  • 1 cup chopped dried apples
  • 1 cup dried bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup pear nectar
  • For the pork:
  • 2 pork tenderloins
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 8 slices of bacon
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 to 1 cups pear nectar
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine the apples, dried fruit, celery, pecans, scallions, and bread crumbs in a medium size bowl. Add the maple syrup and pear nectar and mix to combine. Set aside while you prepare the pork tenderloin.
  2. Butterfly the pork tenderloins by cutting them lengthwise about two-thirds of the way through. Place each butterflied tenderloin between sheets of wax paper and pound them out to a 1/4-inch rectangle. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place as much stuffing as will fit easily on each one. (You will have extra to put in a small casserole to cook separately.) Roll up each pork tenderloin starting at the long ends and place them seam-side down in a roasting pan appropriate to their size. (Not too large). Wrap each tenderloin with 4 slices of bacon.
  3. Drizzle the top of each one with maple syrup and pour 1/2 cup of pear nectar into pan. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding more liquid if the pan juice starts to caramelize too quickly. When the tenderloins are nicely caramelized after about 1 hour, remove from the oven. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • cookinginvictoria
    cookinginvictoria
  • drbabs
    drbabs
  • EmilyC
    EmilyC
  • Abigail Hoppen Albers
    Abigail Hoppen Albers
  • lakelurelady
    lakelurelady
lakelurelady
I have been a serious cook from the time I first took an introductory course in French Cooking from Irena Chalmers, a cookbook author and instructor at the CIA. My first love is French cooking but I also value the importance of fresh local ingredients. The freshest ingredients seasoned right and prepared with love will result in the perfect meal.

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14 Reviews

Robbie
Robbie April 17, 2022
Made following directions with exception could not find peach nectar so subbed mango nectar but still made an exceptional pork tenderloin for Easter dinner. Will definitely make again and again and again. Next time going to add dried apricots as I love them. Thanks!
 
squiddie
squiddie November 30, 2020
This turned out beautifully! Followed the gist of the recipe for flavour profile and oven temperature and eyeballed everything. Keeper, thanks!
 
cookinginvictoria
cookinginvictoria December 4, 2015
Congratulations -- your recipe sounds wonderful. I loved dried fruit in stuffing, and doesn't everything taste better wrapped in bacon? Looking forward to making your recipe soon. :)
 
lakelurelady
lakelurelady December 4, 2015
I hope you enjoy it cookinginvictoria. Thanks for your comment.
 
drbabs
drbabs December 4, 2015
Congratulations! Your recipe sounds awesome--if I can talk my husband into eating pork, it's one of the first ones I'll try. I'm honored to be a finalist with you also!
 
lakelurelady
lakelurelady December 4, 2015
I appreciate it Barbara.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC December 4, 2015
Lovely recipe. Congrats lakelurelady!
 
lakelurelady
lakelurelady December 4, 2015
Thanks Emily!
 
Abigail H.
Abigail H. November 19, 2013
mine didn't turn out as good as i'd hoped. what kind of bread crumbs did everyone use? i feel that's where i went wrong.
 
lakelurelady
lakelurelady November 14, 2015
Sorry Abigail if it was not a success. I used plain dry breadcrumbs from a tube. They may have been Progresso.
 
Finnegansmomchef
Finnegansmomchef December 15, 2012
How big we're the tenderloins- 1 lb each?
 
lakelurelady
lakelurelady July 19, 2013
Sorry finnegans mom. I have been away from this page for a while. They were about 1 1/2 pounds.
 
lakelurelady
lakelurelady April 12, 2012
Tarragon, I appreciate you testing my recipe and I'm happy that you liked it. We love it enough for a repeat. I am halving the recipe and making one tenderloin for our dinner tonight. I'm honored to be a Community Pick! Thanks A & M.
 
lakelurelady
lakelurelady March 24, 2012
Thank you sdebrango! Appreciate your comment.