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Today’s posts are both celebrating a trip I had the privilege of making to Des Moines a few weeks ago for the Farmers Feed US 2012 Iowa CornQuest! Sponsored by the Iowa Corn Growers Association, the trip was a total blast. Loved getting to hang out with some absolutely wonderful blogging friends, learn all sorts of things about the Iowa corn, beef and pork industries and the amazing farmers who work hard to provide for us, and of course — loved getting to eat some seriously stellar food!
While we were treated to many delicious dishes on the trip, one of my favorite meals was actually a lunch that we were able to cook ourselves! That’s right. Brave Chef Terrie Kohl from the Country Club Market split the ten of us food bloggers into teams to prepare lunch for one another using her delicious recipes. And I was lucky to end up on Team Pork making this heavenly Maple Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary Cherry Sauce. I think the chef must have secretly known one of my biggest cooking aversions, because she promptly put me to work removing the silver skin from about 8 pork tenderloins. But I admit, it was all worth it when everyone sat down and took their first bites of this pork dish. It was absolutely amazing!
I mean, I don’t know how you couldn’t love bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. But the rosemary cherry sauce absolutely took this dish over the top. Even after we were totally stuffed, people passed around the plates for seconds and thirds. And then we all promptly asked the chef if we might be able to take the recipe home to share (which she generously agreed to — thanks, Chef Terrie!). So I’m excited to pass it onto you! I made a few slight tweaks to the recipe, mainly doubling the sauce because I couldn’t get enough of those big plump cherries. But it is a wonderful dish that comes together quickly and easily, and is sure to impress your friends and family. I’m a big fan. :)
Cheers to great meals, grown by great farmers, and cooked with great friends!!!
You’ll love this delicious Maple Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin w/ Rosemary Cherry Sauce recipe!
Ingredients
Scale
For The Maple Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin:
1 (2 lb.) pork tenderloin, rinsed and silver skin removed
6–8 slices maple bacon
1 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
For The Rosemary Cherry Sauce:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup thinly-sliced red onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried cherries
1 Tbsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Instructions
To Make The Tenderloin:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap the tenderloin with the strips of bacon in an even layer, securing with toothpicks.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Then add the pork and sear it on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, until browned. Once seared, transfer the pork to a baking pan covered with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup). Then bake for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 140 degrees F. (As the pork sits afterwards, it will continue cooking and reach 145 degrees.) Serve pork covered with pan sauce.
To Make The Sauce:
In the same skillet that you used to sear the pork, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, dried cherries and rosemary. Saute until the onions are cooked, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken stock and continue cooking until the sauce comes to a boil.
While the broth heats, whisk together the vinegar and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Once the broth is boiling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture until evenly blended. Let sauce boil for an additional 1-2 minutes until thickened, then remove pan from heat and cover until serving.
Notes
Recipe used with permission from Chef Terrie Kohl.
Oh my word, I haven’t even tried the pork yet but the sauce is amazing!!!! I cannot WAIT, the smells in my kitchen right now are unbelievable!! Pairing this with sweet corn and roasted new potatoes. And I used fresh cherries instead of the dried, as my daughter and I picked fresh cherries today. Of course. I had to use them! Also, put a tablespoon of maple syrup in the sauce as I didn’t have maple bacon. Looking forward to it!
I made this with a small change. I sliced the tenderloin roast and put in sliced elephant garlic, red onion, fresh rosemary, pepper and some Sage scrub, cherries! … THEN I wrapped with cooking string. Put on bacon all around vertically and horizontally with toothpick. (forgot to brown…) but … put foil in glasss pan and totally wrapped tenderloin… baked 1 hour at 350 degrees. I made the sauce like the recipe I just added cherry juice and some sherry… OMG yummy.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We think that all sounds amazing Diana — especially the cherry juice and sherry you added! And we’re so glad you enjoyed this! :D
My family LOVES this recipe! Thank you for the excellent directions. I served it the first time for my parents’ 61st wedding anniversary celebration and they really enjoyed it. It’s easy to make, consistently delicious, and looks beautiful on the plate!
This is absolutely gorgeous!!! That rosemary cherry sauce is calling to me!
Dying over this sauce!
Love love LOVE. Go see my post that I finally just finished & posted lol ;)
That sauce is amazing, Ali! I seriously want to slather that on anything and everything!
This looks like it came out of a very fancy restaurant!! Dying to try to make it myself.
this is AWESOME!!! i’m totally making this one night so i can actually enjoy and taste most of it!! gorgeous :)
Everything wrapped in bacon is 100x better. Oh yes.
Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin sounds pretty impossible not to love, especially with that sauce!
Looks so yummy, Ali! Can’t wait to try it! =)
This was my favorite meal too! That sauce was amazing! Glad you posted it!!
Looks completely delicious. My kinda meal!
This looks absolutely fantastic! Love the photos – seriously, so fun!!
Rosemary sauce! I love rosemary anything. And involving pork tenderloin and bacon just makes it better!
This was absolutely amazing! It also made the house smell incredible! The boyfriend’s kids even asked for seconds.
This was so delicious! Served it with roasted sweet potatoes and salad followed by pan a cotta. A wonderful Christmas dinner!
Oh my word, I haven’t even tried the pork yet but the sauce is amazing!!!! I cannot WAIT, the smells in my kitchen right now are unbelievable!! Pairing this with sweet corn and roasted new potatoes. And I used fresh cherries instead of the dried, as my daughter and I picked fresh cherries today. Of course. I had to use them! Also, put a tablespoon of maple syrup in the sauce as I didn’t have maple bacon. Looking forward to it!
I made this with a small change. I sliced the tenderloin roast and put in sliced elephant garlic, red onion, fresh rosemary, pepper and some Sage scrub, cherries! … THEN I wrapped with cooking string. Put on bacon all around vertically and horizontally with toothpick. (forgot to brown…) but … put foil in glasss pan and totally wrapped tenderloin… baked 1 hour at 350 degrees. I made the sauce like the recipe I just added cherry juice and some sherry… OMG yummy.
We think that all sounds amazing Diana — especially the cherry juice and sherry you added! And we’re so glad you enjoyed this! :D
This is a very easy, yet delicious recipe. The sauce would also be delicious on chicken breasts as well.
My family LOVES this recipe! Thank you for the excellent directions. I served it the first time for my parents’ 61st wedding anniversary celebration and they really enjoyed it. It’s easy to make, consistently delicious, and looks beautiful on the plate!
This was delicious! Would love to make again. Pork came out very tender and moist. The sauce was to die for.