Pork Tenderloin with Maple Onion Cream Sauce

This one is my most favorite guilty pleasure of all time. Not even exaggerating. This sauce is so good your gonna want to eat it with a spoon (and I do) and combined with the bacon on top your just gonna die. The stuffing goes so well with the sauce and the meat is so tender. Also the bacon keeps the tenderloin from drying out as it cooks so it's so flavourful and juicy. If you never try anything on  this blog you have to try this. The sauce is super easy and if you don't want to bother with stuffing the tenderloin you could just roast it whole seasoned with some salt and pepper and the bacon on top. AND if you really love bacon just wrap the whole thing in it! Why not? It's not like you make this kind of thing everyday right? Just go for a jog or something later.........

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
1 pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion sliced
1 pinch each of thyme, basil, sage, salt and pepper
2 Tbsp raisins
1 cup fresh diced bread
2 slices bacon

Directions

PREHEAT your oven to 350 degrees

TO make the stuffing saute the onions, herbs, salt, pepper and raisins in the butter on medium heat in a medium saucepan until soft (about 4 min). Add the bread cubes and stir to combine, set aside.

SO there are a couple ways to stuff the tenderloin. You can slice it in half lengthwise and season with salt and pepper. Place stuffing on one half, place the other half on top like a sandwich. Place 2 slices of bacon lengthwise on top of the tenderloin side by side and tie every 2 inches or so with butchers twine. Or you can be more adventurous and try doing a pinwheel style roll like I did. You can do this by slicing down about 3/4 of the way through lengthwise and opening the tenderloin up like a book, then making 2 more parallel cuts on either side of the center cut 3/4 of the way through to open up flat. Cover with plastic wrap and smash it with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, starting from the center and making your way out until it's an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper and cover the tenderloin in a layer of stuffing and roll up tight. Cover top with bacon as with other method. Use butchers twine every 2 inches or so to tie it up nice.
PLACE the tenderloin on a rack in a baking pan and roast for about 40 minutes or so. The meat should reach an internal temperature of about 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit before you take it out of the oven. Place the tenderloin on a cutting board and tent with foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes! If you slice it right away all the juices will just run out all over your cutting board. Plus the carry over cooking will get the meat up to the right temperature. Believe it or not pork won't kill you or give you worms if it is cooked medium well. You should seriously consider investing in a meat thermometer. They are inexpensive and they eliminate all the guesswork.

START the sauce when the tenderloin has about ten minutes left of cooking time.

Maple onion cream sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 large onion sliced
A splash of dry white wine (about 2 Tbsp)
1-1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (pure is best if you have it)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

HEAT the butter in a medium sized skillet on medium heat. Don't let the butter brown. Add onions and stir often until lightly caramelized (this takes about 20 minutes). Add the wine, maple syrup and cream. Stir and simmer lightly until reduced by half. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Try not to eat the whole thing before it gets on the pork!

TO serve cut the butchers twine from the tenderloin and slice into 1 inch medallions. serve sauce over pork and garnish with some fresh rosemary or thyme. 

This recipe serves 2 people but you can easily double to serve 4.