Roasted Pork Tenderloins with Bacon and Herbs

This is my favorite way to eat pork tenderloin. It takes some time but has the most amazing flavor. Roast the garlic the day before to save some prep time. (Put a whole head of garlic on a large sheet of tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and gather tin foil around garlic, closing at the top. Cook at 400 for 30-45 minutes. To use, slice the top off the garlic and squeeze the roasted flesh out.) It has you cut two tenderloins into thirds, crosswise and then sandwich fresh herbs and roasted garlic in between two pieces of meat. You tie it together and wrap the whole thing in bacon. It's heavenly.

Roasted Pork Tenderloins with Bacon and Herbs
from the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook
serves 10-12

6 8-ounce pork tenderloins, rinsed and patted dry, trimmed of excess fat
1 head of roasted garlic
6 sprigs of fresh sage
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
18 bacon strips
salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 T. unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400. Arrange 3 tenderloins on a work surface, flat-side up. Spread the flat side of each tenderloin with one-third of the roasted garlic. Strip the leaves from the fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme; discard the stems. Place one-third of each herb on each tenderloin, scattering the leaves over the garlic. Place the remaining tenderloins on top of the herb-coated tenderloins, with flat sides down, and matching the larger ends to the tapered ends. Wrap 6 strips of bacon around each pair of tenderloins; tie bacon in place with kitchen twine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides.

Place a large, skillet over high heat. Add the oil and the butter; once melted, arrange the tenderloins, in the skillet in batches to keep them from touching. Sear until golden brown on all sides, rotating as needed, about 10 minutes per tenderloin. Transfer the seared tenderloins to a large roasting pan; place in the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board; let stand 10 minutes. Remove the twine before carving.