December's Cooking Club Challenge was a hearty one: Michael Smith's Bacon Roast Pork Tenderloin. We're thrilled you all enjoyed it!
Congratulations to Chef Danielle G for winning this month's challenge!
Chef Danielle G: “I decided to make this bacon wrapped pork on Christmas Eve. It was easy to make and delicious! I stuffed the pork tenderloin with a bit of sautéed dried cranberries, onion, apple, parsley, sage, and some cubed bread to make a festive stuffing. For the mustard mixture, instead of using brown sugar, I used a tablespoon of apple butter. All and all the flavours were great! I used closer to ten pieces of bacon to wrap the tenderloin which I may have overlapped a bit too much since the sections of the bacon that overlapped were not crispy.”
Chef Brianna G: “I have never cooked with pork before because every time I've had it I find it always comes out dry. I was pleasantly surprised that this was juicy and tender! I used Dijon mustard and wanted to please my Italian family so I used basil and oregano for the spices. I also added a little mozzarella cheese in between the bacon and the pork to give it an extra layer and served it on a bed of mashed potatoes. Thanks Chef Michael Smith for the delicious recipe!”
Chef Darryl J: "December is always a fast paced month. This selection was perfect to offer both a great affordable dinner AND in record time. Throw on a quick side of veggies and you have a well rounded and delicious meal in no time flat. This turned out great."
Chef David B: “Here is my take on the pork tenderloin recipe. Stuffed pork tenderloin, wrapped with prosciutto !! Great way to use some leftover stuffing and used prosciutto instead of the bacon Served with roast potato and carrots (not pictured) and a nice glass of red.”
Chef Despina V: “Michael Smith is a favorite Chef of mine. I have most of his books and I love to cook his recipes. Besides him being one of my favorite Chefs, he also lives in my Favorite Province, PEI. We visit there every summer, maybe one day I will be lucky enough to bump into him :). Here is my Bacon Roast Pork Tenderloin: I can only say WOW!!! How delicious was this! I used whole grain mustard and for my favorite herb I used Rosemary (the plant is almost as tall as I am and it is in my kitchen being kept out of winter's harmful way). This is a superb dish and I will be serving it up at Christmas time. Thank you for the great challenge and Merry Christmas!”
Chef Elizabeth S: “Anything wrapped in bacon is usually a hit in my house but this dish was particularly delicious. I didn't stray too far from the recipe but did add minced garlic and fresh instead of dried herbs to some grainy mustard for the pork seasoning. I had to cook the tenderloin at a lower temperature than the recipe directs as it was sharing the oven with some butternut squash; I wasn't confident that the bacon would crisp in time so I partially cooked the slices in the microwave before wrapping and roasting the pork. I really enjoyed making this - it was quick enough for a weekday meal but special enough for company.”
Chef Erin M: “This is a fool-proofed recipe; pork tenderloin is so economical and can't-go-wrong tender. I followed the recipe exactly and served it with roast potatoes,vegetables and light gravy as Sunday roast dinner. Will definitely make it again.”
Chef Mario R: “For my beautiful wife's Birthday, my daughter and I cooked her the Dec. Cook off's Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin from Michael Smith one of her favourite chefs! Our twist; is green mustard, which has herbs and instead of bacon we "twisted" the tenderloin with Turkey Bacon for the festive season! It was a big hit for the whole family and I am learning how to add some dishes to my repertoire!”
Chef Rhonda L: “The holiday season is all about savoury and decadent food that we do not usually indulge in. So I took Chef Micheal Smith's advice and took this recipe one step further. I started by butterflying my tenderloin do add some surface area. I then marinated in bourbon amongst a few other flavours. I made an aioli from the freshest ingredients adding to it fresh rosemary and thyme, then lathered the inside of the loin with it. I followed that by rolling it all up, coating it as recommended in the recipe (my herb, fresh rosemary), and wrapping it in hickory smoked bacon (fresh from the local smoke house). It turned out to be truly decadent! This wasn't my Christmas turkey dinner but I now have no clue on how I am going to top this. I guess that's what a cooking club challenge is all about.”
Chef Sarah R: “I loved Michael Smith's Bacon Roast Pork Tenderloin. It was really easy to make and turned out delicious. I used maple bacon to add additional sweetness and rosemary for my herb as well as to skewer my bacon to my pork tenderloin. I served my Bacon Roast Pork Tenderloin with what I know is Michael Smith's holiday side choice, mashed potatoes and cranberry jelly with fresh mint leaves mixed in."
Chef Katherine S: "This was yet another hit from Michael Smith! Great challenge to end the year on as it happened - a welcome respite from turkey leftovers. The tenderloin ended up perfectly cooked and who doesn't like pork wrapped in yet more pork? There was a little smoking from the high temp, but no kitchen fires or alarms were set off at least. I used maple syrup in place of the brown sugar and fresh thyme in the mix. I'm fairly certain that this will be made again in our house, based on the appreciative sounds that came from the "tasting panel"! Happy New Year!"
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by Souzan Michael