The Bacon Weave

How could I talk about this recipe without mentioning the bacon weave. A bacon weave is a netting of bacon that will wrap the outside of the pork tenderloin. To make this weave, you are going to start with 7-8 strips of bacon laid out parallel to each other. Next, you will lay one strip of bacon down at a time weaving it perpendicular to the other strips with every other strip going over the top of the bacon and every other strip going underneath. Honestly, it is a really fun way to add bacon into your dish. It also covers the pork tenderloin super well!

Smoked pork is the best pork. By smoking this Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, you will get a rich outer layer of smoky goodness that compliments the crispy bacon. I cooked this pork loin at about 250F for about 2 hours until it was 145F. This is my ideal temperature for cooked pork, because it is both safe and tender all at the same time.

Another little tip, use some wood chunks or wood chips in order to enhance that smoky flavor. I like to use cherry or hickory wood chunks/chips on this recipe. Cherry has a super sweet and mellow flavor for those that do not want overpoweringly smokiness. The hickory is smoky, but in a good way. It is still subtly sweet with a nice smoky finish.

Ingredients

Pork Loin:

• 2 Pork Tenderloins trimmed
• 2 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard
• 2 lbs of Bacon
• 1/2 cup of Historic Lynchburg Honey Maple Syrup

Seasoning

• 1 Tbsp of Sea Salt
• 1 Tbsp of Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Historic Lynchburg Cinnamon Chipotle Seasoning & Rub
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• ½ Tbsp of Garlic Powder
• ½ Tbsp of Onion Powder
• ½ Tbsp of Smoked Paprika
• ½ Tbsp Accent (msg) optional

Instructions

1. Trim your pork tenderloins of any excess fat or silver skin. Lather them down with dijon mustard. In a bowl, mix the seasoning then cover the outside of the pork loins with seasoning. Set in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes to overnight.
2. Next, create a bacon weave. Start by setting down a strip of parchment. Next, layer 7-8 bacon strips down parallel to each other. Next at the end of the bacon strips, weave a single bacon slice perpendicular to the other slices with every other slice laying on top and every other slice going underneath the strip. Continue this until you have a full weave that will cover your pork loin.
3. Place your pork loin at one end of the bacon weave, and by using the parchment roll begin to wrap the bacon in the weave. Make sure to only start with the parchment, and not continue as it will become intertwined in the weave.
4. Once done, truss the bacon wrapped pork loin with butcher twine in order to keep everything in place while it is one the grill. Once trussed, set the pork loins in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat your smoker/indirect grill to 250F, and add cherry or hickory wood chunks/chips for additional smoke.
6. Place your pork loin on the smoker to cook for about 2 hours or until it reaches 145F internal.
7. When the pork loin is close to done, heat up your Historic Lynchburg Honey maple syrup and brush liberaly on top of the pork loin. Keep on the smoker to caramelize for a couple of minutes. Then roll over and brush the other side of the pork loin and caramelize.
8. When pork loin is done, pull off and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve along with a side of baked beans and potatoes or with your favorite sides!
   

Ron Apetit'