Pancetta Pork Tenderloin

I feel like pork tenderloin is the new chicken in terms of being a cheap, easy, and tender staple at the dinner table. There are countless ways to prepare it, but marinating it overnight and then wrapping in herbs and pancetta gives this lean cut of meat the oomph it needs to really make it a fan favourite.

For the marinade

1 cup hard cider
1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
4 cloves garlic
3 (each 1 lb) pork tenderloins
1 small cooking onion, thinly sliced

For the roast

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
36 thin slices pancetta (about 7 oz in total)

Directions

For the marinade, combine the cider, Dijon, maple syrup, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl or a large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and mash it around to bring it all together. Using the back of a large knife, whack the thyme and rosemary a few times to bruise it all up a bit. This will help the herbs release more of their flavor in the marinade. Smash and roughly chop the garlic and add it, along with the herbs, tender-loins, and onions, to the marinade. Make sure the pork is completely submerged and cover or seal it all up to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours, to allow the flavors to marry.

When you’re ready to cook, remove the pork from the marinade, dry it off with some paper towel, and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425°F, line a baking sheet or roasting pan with a wire rack, and get to work on your pancetta wrap.

For the roast, in a small bowl, mix together the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and oil. Set aside.

Arrange 12 pancetta slices on a work surface so that they overlap slightly and form a rectangle. Evenly scatter one-third of the herb and garlic mixture over the pancetta (see fig.1) and place 1 pork tenderloin along the centre. Wrap the two sides around the pork tenderloin (fig.2), flip it over, and place on the rack-lined pan. Repeat this step with the other 2 tenderloins, making sure to leave some space between each on the pan.

Roast the pork tenderloins for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes under a loose piece of aluminum foil before slicing it into 1-inch pieces for serving.

Note

The pork can be marinated 2 days ahead and wrapped in the pancetta the night before or morning of. The tenderloins will hold if properly covered in the fridge, but be sure to bring them out of the fridge about 20 or 30 minutes before roasting them.

Excerpted from Kitchen Party by Mary Berg. Copyright © 2019 Mary Berg. Photography by Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.