Bacon Wrapped Fig & Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
We’re eating succulent grilled bacon wrapped pork tenderloin stuffed with fresh mission figs and crumbled blue cheese. The pork was served on a bed of spicy micro mustard greens and slices of mission figs with a drizzle of pomegranate vinaigrette.
Sure, bacon has blown up into yet another annoying and absurd internet fad, but that’s just because bacon has and always will be one of the tastiest foods known to humankind. If you don’t like bacon I really don’t understand how your deranged brain works. I would take a a slice of bacon over a chocolate truffle any day of the week. I would take this bacon wrapped blue cheese & fig stuffed pork tenderloin over pretty much any sweet item at any point in time. Disclaimer: I’m a savory kind of girl which makes me kind of biased.
This meal was the perfect balance of sweet, savory, smokey and salty…by god I wish I had a serving of it in front of me at this second. Just writing this post is making me salivate. It’s well known that figs, blue cheese and bacon are a great combo and apparently they are even better when grilled with a juicy pork tenderloin and drizzled with tangy pomegranate vinaigrette! I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we did! 🙂
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 fresh figs, small dice
1 pork tenderloin
3-6 slices of bacon (will vary depending on size of tenderloin and type of bacon)
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Prepare grill to medium heat.
In a small bowl, combine the diced figs and crumbled blue cheese. Toss to evenly distribute.
Butterfly the pork tenderloin by slicing lengthwise almost all the way through then open the meat up like a book. Season all surfaces of the pork liberally with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Evenly distribute the fig/blue cheese mixture down the middle of the seasoned butterflied pork leaving about 1/2 inch of space on the edges. Roll the pork back up into the shape of the tenderloin, encasing the stuffing with the meat. Using 5 to 6 toothpicks, securely fasten the pork back together at the edges.
Wrap the stuffed tenderloin evenly with the slices of bacon, securing them to the existing toothpick. You can use more toothpicks to secure the bacon if necessary but the fewer the better!
Place the bacon wrapped tenderloin on the preheated grill, directly over the heat. Grill about 20- 25 minutes or until an internal thermometer in the middle of the meat reads 140 degrees, turning the meat occasionally to crisp the bacon evenly on all sides. (At 140 degrees there will still be a small trace of pink left in the meat.)
Stay by the pork throughout the entire grilling process. Since the tenderloin is wrapped in bacon there will without a doubt be flare ups. A few flames licking at the meat for a few seconds here and there is desired but if the bacon begins to char simply move the meat to a different part of the grill or rotate the meat to a section where the bacon is not yet crispy.
Once the pork is at the desired level of done-ness, remove from the grill. Let the pork rest, covered loosely in foil, for 10 minutes before slicing. To serve drizzle w/ Pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe follows). Enjoy!
1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate Molasses
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus extra
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra
2 tbsp canola oil
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. While continuously whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle in the canola oil to form an emulsified vinaigrette. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust seasonings as desired with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Note: If the vinaigrette is too tart for your liking, simply whisk in more canola oil.
Oh I die. Thanks for this recipe – I was trying to find a new pork recipe that will keep it moist. This sounds like just the ticket.
Pork-wrapped pork? Hedonist! FYI, have you heard of bacon chocolate cakes? Google it. Some of them actually look pretty good.
Oh, two pork tenderloin posts in a row! How gauche! 😛 I kid, I kid. Seriously, though, that was some fire pork tenderloin. And I have re-fallen in love with figs. And, yeah, bacon is beyond fads. When this bacon fad is over we can talk about it while eating bacon wrapped bacon.
Everything should be wrapped in bacon….mmm.
thanks, Tracey! I hope it turns out well for you. 🙂
michelle – i’m heard of lots of bacon-chocolate things but never bacon chocolate cake! sounds DELICIOUS! mmmmm
tyler – mmm bacon wrapped in bacon… maybe we can stuff it with bacon bits. 😉
peabody – you said it perfectly! 😀
Heavenly! All my favorite things! I’m going to make this labor day weekend! Thanks for sharing.
Love the sweet/salty flavor profile. And for me, anything with pomegranate molasses is over the moon. I even use it in my pomegranate martini! Thank you for a great recipe
This is gorgeous…and sounds so incredibly delicious 🙂 Found you over at Foodista…tasty blog 🙂
That looks quite scrummy…….four forks of five 🙂 Lucked into you through Menu-in-Progress with Mike & Sherry!
Now in my fave bookmarks.
Good cooking though it doesn’t look as though you need it!
Thanks, Melissa! I hope it turns out well! 🙂
Nicole, I feel the same way about pom. molasses! Sooooooo good!
Thanks girliechef! I love foodista. What a great site.
Thanks, Grazor! Hope you come back and see us again soon. 🙂
Oh my God was this pork ever good. I brined the butterflied pork in mango juice, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper and green onion. I did the stuffing and wrap according to the recipe. I then made a reduction of pommegrante/balsamic and finished it with butter to make a creamy sauce that wasn’t the least bit acidic but delicous. Thanks for inspiring me to make this dish. It is going into my favorite folder.
Made this last night and it was AWESOME! Thanks for a great recipe!
I knocked one out of the park with this dish. I made it my own but you gave me the inspiration. I brined my pork tenderloin in OJ and Chipotle over night then butterflied them and stuffed with figs and blue cheese. The bacon was key! It cooked so well on the grill. Sliced it and served with some balsamic/pomegranet reduction. The side was roasted eggplant scooped out and drizzled with some herbed olive oil and a chiffonade of brussel sprouts flash fried with a hit of lemon and S&P.
This pork is orgasmic!
Is this a recipe I can cook in the oven, don’t have access to a grill.
Thanks.
Sounds Great! What size loin is used in this recipe?
Thanks
Totally awesome. I paired it with a rose. Double awesome.
http://wineharlots.com/wordpress/?p=4888
Great! I made this without a grill. I cooked it on a skillet to brown the bacon then roasted it at 350 for 45 min or until it reached 140 degrees and it turned out perfect. I also used dried fig mixed with orange fig jam because I couldnt find it fresh- Awesome dish!