Pork

Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

by:
October  6, 2013
4
3 Ratings
Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Photo by Alex Farnum
  • Serves 2 to 3
Author Notes

Delicate pork tenderloin is the extra lean meat adjacent to the loin. This tasty, supple little muscle has a tendency to dry out quickly during cooking and can go from perfectly pink to dry and mealy the second you turn your back on the sauté pan. Our solution to the tenderloin quandary is to provide it with a protective layer of much needed fat in the form of rich, salty pancetta. As the tenderloin roasts the pancetta crisps, basting the tenderloin with its fat, keeping the lean muscle moist and infusing it with the robust flavor of pancetta. —Toponia Miller

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 trimmed pork tenderloin
  • sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 3-4 tablespoons chopped rosemary
  • 2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or pancetta tesa
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Season the tenderloin with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and wine. Using a pastry brush or your hands, cover the tenderloin liberally with the mix. Sprinkle rosemary evenly over the roast.
  3. Neatly cover a 10x10 inch (25 x 25 cm) square of waxed paper or parchment with the slices of pancetta so that they are overlapping one another by about a half-inch (1.25 cm). Lay the tenderloin one inch from the bottom of the sheet, parallel to the edge. Fold the bottom inch over the tenderloin, and then roll the paper around the tenderloin. The pancetta should be tightly wrapped around the tenderloin. Remove the paper.
  4. Place the roast onto a rack fitted over a baking sheet or roasting pan and place in the middle of the oven. Roast for about twenty minutes or more until the pancetta is golden and crisp and a meat thermometer reads 140°degrees when inserted into the thickest part of your roast.
  5. Remove from the oven and let rest for five to ten minutes. Slice into one-inch (2.5 cm) rounds.
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10 Reviews

Susan
Susan August 23, 2018
Missing ingredient: 1/4 cup dijon mustard
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 20, 2013
The full ingredient list can be found here: http://food52.com/blog/8507-the-fatted-calf-s-pancetta-wrapped-pork-tenderloin
 
Tom G.
Tom G. December 19, 2013
I know you said you corrected the recipe but I can't find my way to the new version. help?!?? It looks delicious and I actually had something like this in a restaurant in Atlanta. Loved it!
 
Esvee
Esvee October 21, 2013
Wanted to point out: the mustard is mentioned in the instructions, but is still not in the ingredients. How much mustard should it be? What kind?
 
sygyzy
sygyzy October 8, 2013
What is the vegetable pictured with the tenderloin? Red onion? Endives?
 
Jo T.
Jo T. October 8, 2013
Looks like radicchio
 
Toponia M.
Toponia M. October 8, 2013
It is indeed radicchio, simply tosses with salt and olive oil and roasted.
 
Betty L.
Betty L. October 8, 2013
What is done with the mustard, wine and rosemary listed in the ingredients and not mentioned in the instructions?
 
Betty L.
Betty L. October 8, 2013
The mustard, rosemary and wine are not mentioned in the instructions.
 
Toponia M.
Toponia M. October 8, 2013
So sorry. Just edited this and added the very important seasoning step. Thanks for catching that.