This post is written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own.
A bacon recipe so good, I don't know where to start. Think about it. Salty-smoky bacon weaved and wrapped around a pork tenderloin, then glazed and baked with a homemade cherry barbecue sauce. Yes, it is true. Bacon makes everything better.
Cherry Bacon Pork Tenderloin
First and foremost, to make any recipe amazing you have to use our family favorite: Wright® Brand Hickory Bacon from Tyson Foods. This is the brand that we love. The hickory smoked flavor, thick slices and premium quality makes all of our bacon recipes taste their very best.
You can find Wright® Brand Hickory Bacon at your local Kroger in the refrigerated section. Just look for the bright blue label.
Tyson® products are perfect for all cooking occasions and all holiday season long.
The first step in preparing Cherry Bacon Pork Tenderloin is to weave the bacon. Bacon Weaving 101, you took that in college, right?
It is very simple. For our pork tenderloin, we used a total of 10 pieces of Wright Brand bacon. Place 5 of them vertically (up and down), and the other 5 horizontally (across). (Some more college level stuff for ya'.)
Simply lift the pieces of bacon as you weave them in and out, working one strip at a time.
It is a thing of beauty. Go ahead, download the full size version of the bacon weave here for your desktop background.
[clickToTweet tweet="It is a thing of beauty. Go ahead, download the full size version of the bacon weave here for your desktop background." quote="It is a thing of beauty. Go ahead, download the full size version of the bacon weave here for your desktop background." theme="style3"]
If you love pork recipes, try these:
Bacon Green Bean Casserole (Better Than Your Mom's)
Bacon Wrapped Grilled Cabbage
Boom Boom Stuffed Mushrooms (The Best Ever)
Hawaiian Pineapple Grilled Pork Chops
In some recipes you want to get it really snug, but we wanted a few spaces for our homemade cherry barbecue sauce to cook through the bacon and make the pork tenderloin extra yummy.
Place your seasoned pork tenderloin in the center of the bacon weave. Carefully fold over each side, and flip it into the skillet. If you need to, you can secure it with picks.
However, Wright® Brand Hickory Bacon from Tyson® is perfect for this recipe hack.
To get the complete step-by-step instructions for this easy Cherry Bacon Pork Tenderloin, get the recipe at the bottom of this post. Your family is going to love this one. This will be a Tyson® recipe you can pass on and give the gift of love. (In bacon form.)
For a rich, red cherry glaze, you want to generously brush the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin several times throughout the cooking process. Also spoon the cooking liquid on top as well. The flavors of the hickory bacon combine with the cherry sauce and create...magic.
The sweet and spicy dark-cherry barbecue sauce bakes into the smoky bacon and it literally is addictive. You won't believe how easy it is to make your own cherry barbecue sauce from simple ingredients. (I'm even going to let you in on a secret ingredient or two, so check out the recipe at the bottom.)
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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Cherry Bacon Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
For the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- 10 - 12 slices of Wright® Brand Hickory Bacon
- 2 lb pork tenderloin or two 1 lb tenderloins
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 TB vegetable oil
For the Cherry Barbecue Sauce
- 1 cup fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries pitted
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 TB spicy brown mustard
- 1 TB molasses
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
Instructions
This is really an easy recipe, but I am going to give very detailed instructions so you completely feel confident in making this recipe
For the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place oven rack in center.
- Remove the pork tenderloin from packaging and pat dry. Salt and pepper all sides of the tenderloin. Set aside.
- Lay 10 to 12 strips of bacon on a cutting board. You want the length of the bacon horizontally to be about as long as your tenderloin.
- Place half of the bacon strips vertically, and the other half horizontally. Lift each slice of bacon and weave them together in a cross-hatch pattern as shown in the picture above.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet on the stove top to medium-high. When it is hot, add the oil and swirl it around the pan. Quickly sear the pork tenderloin on all sides. You want a light brown, then remove it. Set the pan to the side for later.
- Place the pork tenderloin in the center of the weaved bacon strips. Carefully fold the bacon over the pork, wrapping it. Grasping the tenderloin with both hands, quickly flip it so the bacon is tucked underneath.
- You can secure the bacon with toothpicks if you prefer.
- With a large spatula, carefully transfer the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin back to the cast iron skillet. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 35 - 40 minutes.
- You do not want to overcook the tenderloin. Cooking times will vary based on your oven and thickness of pork. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork is properly cooked.
- During the cooking process, brush and baste the tenderloin with the cherry barbecue sauce (below) and spoon the pan drippings over the top. Repeat until the sauce is rich and sticky on the bacon.
- Remove from the oven and cover lightly with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
For the Cherry Barbecue Sauce
- In a medium sauce pan, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Heat on medium until it starts bubbling.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a handheld immersion blender, carefully blend the sauce until mostly smooth or to desired consistency.
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