This mouth watering Bacon Wrapped Smoked Tenderloin is made with just a few ingredients to create a dish that is gorgeous and delicious. It is topped with a simple three ingredient Bourbon Honey and Mustard Glaze that creates a sticky, sweet and sour exterior.
The tenderloin will have some pieces of fat and a silverskin on it. Trim that off using your fingers or a pair of scissors. It peels off easily and will make cutting simple after it is smoked.
Rub the pork with your favorite dry rub. Keep with a more mild rub to allow the flavors of the bacon and the sauce to shine through. *You can omit the rub altogether for this recipe as there is more than enough flavor from the bacon wrap and honey mustard glaze.*
Prepare the Bacon Wrap
Lay out the slices of bacon and weave them into a crosshatch pattern on a piece parchment paper. It should look like a tight basket-weave when you are done. This used approximately 12 ounces of bacon.
Lay the tenderloin in the center of the bacon weave and lift one side of the parchment paper (with the bacon) to cover one side of the pork. Gently peel the parchment paper back, leaving the bacon to stick to the meat.
Repeat the process with the other side of the bacon and parchment. The bacon should completely wrap around the tenderloin.
Prepare the Glaze
Combine the bourbon, honey and stone ground mustard in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil on the stove top.
Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Turn off the burner and let it rest. It will thicken as it cools, but you will brush this on later, so it is fine if it is on the thin side.
Smoke the Tenderloin
Prepare your grill for smoking by setting it up for indirect heat. For a Big Green Egg, add the plate setter. For gas grills, turn off the center burners.
Set the temperature for 275 degrees. Usually, we smoke at a lower temperature, but the higher temperature in this case will allow the bacon to crisp up nicely!
Add apple wood smoking chips to the grill. For the gas grills, use a smoking box. You only want a little bit of smoke, as a little goes a long ways.
Gently lay the bacon wrapped tenderloin on the grill grate and allow it to smoke until the temperature reaches 145 degrees. Use a good quality wireless meat thermometer to measure the temp.
During the last 5-7 minutes of smoking, apply the glaze several times to all sides of the pork tenderloin. The heat start to create a thick and sticky exterior to the pork.
Remove from the grill and let it rest for five minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Removing Fat: Spend the time to remove the fat and silver skin. It makes a big difference when trying to cut it later. Parchment Wrapping: The parchment paper wrapping trick is the easiest way I found to wrap the pork in bacon. Don't skip it. While I love eating thick slices of bacon, the thin sliced varieties work best here.Temperature Check: Use a good quality meat thermometer to check the temperature. 145 degrees is all you need for the safe consumption of pork according the the USDA and The National Pork Board. This is extremely juicy (especially as it is wrapped in bacon) and will be a little forgiving, but definitely remove it at 145 degrees. Rest Time: Let this rest after removing from the grill. The resting process allows the juices to stabilize in the meat and it will retain its moisture. Cutting it open too soon will have all the juices escape the meat.Wood Choices: For the smoke, stick to the lighter fruit woods. These give off a mild flavor. Too much smoke risks the pork tasting like charcoal. A hint of the smoke is much more effective for the mild meat. If you are new to smoking, download the Smoking Cheatsheet that will give you all the scoop on pairing wood with your food. Brushing Glaze: Brush the glaze/sauce on multiple times to get the thick and sticky exterior you are looking for. One swipe of the glaze will not be enough. This batch makes about 1.5 cups once it reduces so you have more than enough to keep brushing. Use a long grilling brush so your arm isn't so close to the heat since you are brushing so much.