serves
6
prep
20 minutes
cook
20 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
6
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
20
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 20 dried prunes
- 1 cup cachaça or rum
- 2 pork tenderloins, each about 550g (1¼ lb)
- Coarse salt (sea or kosher)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup Dijon-style mustard
- 8 strips bacon
Soaking time: 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Instructions
- Soak the prunes in cachaça for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until they soften. Set aside.
- Make a cut in the tail of each pork tenderloin (the narrowest end) and fold it under to make the tenderloin more uniform in thickness. Next, cut a deep pocket along the length of each tenderloin with a sharp knife, cutting through from the side. (Do not cut through to the other side.) Open up the tenderloins. Season the inside and outside of each with salt and pepper. Spread the inside of each with the mustard, then arrange the prunes on top of the mustard. (Snuggle them against the back of the cuts you made in the tenderloins.)
- For each tenderloin, arrange 4 lengths of butcher’s string (each about 25 cm / 10 inches long) on your work surface; position them about 5 cm (2 inches) apart and perpendicular to your body. Lay a piece of bacon in the middle of (and at right angles) to the butcher’s string. Take a stuffed tenderloin and lie it on top of the bacon rasher, with the cut facing up. Place a bacon strip on each side and the top of the tenderloin. Secure the bacon by tying the strings; trim any excess strings. Refrigerate or keep on ice if not cooking straight away.
- When ready to cook, set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush and oil the grill grate.
- Arrange the prepared tenderloins on the grill grate at a 45-degree angle to the grill grates. Grill, turning with tongs every 3 to 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 68°C (155°F) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the meat from the grill; transfer to a cutting board. While the meat rests – allow 5 minutes –snip and discard the butcher’s string. Using a sharp knife (preferably, serrated), slice the tenderloins into 1-1.5cm (about ½ inch) medallions. Shingle attractively on a serving platter.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
