The Ultimate Modern Bacon Guide: Ordering Hacks, Recipe Tips, and Health Truths

An insightful review of The Ultimate Modern Bacon Guide: Ordering Hacks, Recipe Tips, and Health Truths—uncover what experts are saying.

Beyond breakfast, bacon serves as a functional culinary tool. Lean cuts like pork tenderloin dry out quickly under dry heat. Wrapping tenderloin in cured pork solves this problem by basting the meat internally with rendered fat throughout roasting.

Executing this technique successfully requires attention to thickness. Standard grocery bacon wraps smoothly and adheres cleanly, whereas thick-cut varieties often stay raw on the underside while burning on the outside. Lay strips horizontally on plastic wrap, overlapping them slightly by a quarter inch to form a continuous sheet. Season the tenderloin with cracked black pepper, fresh thyme, and garlic, then roll the meat snugly inside the bacon lattice.

Sear the wrapped log over medium heat for 3, 4 minutes to start the rendering process, then transfer it to an oven heated to 375°F (190°C). Pull the meat when an instant-read probe reaches an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C). A ten-minute rest allows carryover cooking to hit the safe threshold of 145°F (63°C), keeping the tenderloin moist while the bacon exterior remains snappy and caramelized.