Bacon-Wrapped Pork Roast with Sage

What makes this dish worthy of a blog post is not so much about what it is. I could rhapsodize about how juicy, how succulent, how tender this bacon-wrapped pork roast is. But, really, it's hard to find bacon-wrapped anything that doesn't taste good. What's interesting about this pork-on-pork goodness, actually, is how great it looks (very), how little it costs (very little), and how many people it feeds (a lot).


I spent $4 on two 1-lb pieces of pork tenderloin, $3.99 for a pound of applewood smoked bacon, and $1.99 for a bunch of fresh sage. (The only seasoning this needs is salt, and that is something everybody who cooks already has in the kitchen.) That's a total of $9.98 plus tax for a main course that comfortably feeds a party of 8-10. It also takes less than 10 minutes of active preparation time. While it takes care of itself for about 45-50 minutes in the oven, you can make the side dishes or dessert.

When I don't know what to make for a crowd, this is my go-to dish.


All you have to do is arrange the bacon pieces on your work surface, overlapping them. Sprinkle some salt on two 1-lb whole pork tenderloins¹ and form a cylinder out of them.² Place the tenderloin log on the bacon as shown; roll the bacon pieces all around the tenderloins and place the bacon-wrapped tenderloins in a baking dish, seam side down. Stick 10-12 fresh sage leaves into the bacon pieces.

Bake the pork, uncovered, at 400°F for about 45-50 minutes.³ The bacon should be somewhat crispy⁴and the tenderloins inside perfectly cooked. Let it rest, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes. Then slice and serve with pan juices.

¹Or one 2-lb piece of pork loin.

²Each whole pork tenderloin comes with one thicker end and one tapered end. To form a long, even log, just match one tenderloin's tapered end with the other tenderloin's thicker end.

³About half way through the cooking, the bacon will have rendered lots of fat that splatter a bit in the oven. You may want to take the pan out of the oven just to drain off the rendered fat, then put the pork back into the oven to finish cooking.

⁴For crispier exterior, use prosciutto. I prefer bacon, though.