Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Gravy

A little time consuming, but it turned out to be really delicious. I ended up adding the pan juices from the cooked tenderloin to the gravy to enhance the flavor. Just make sure to skim off the fat before adding it to the sauce.

2 TB unsalted butter

1/2 pound Cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, and finely chopped in a food processor

1 medium shallot, finely diced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pinch dried thyme

1/4 cup brandy

3 slices uncooked bacon, 2 slices chopped, 1 reserved

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

4 pieces cooking twine

Olive oil

1 cup Merlot wine

Salt and pepper

3 TB flour

1 1/4 cup beef stock

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms, shallow, salt and pepper, and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy. Return to heat and cook until all of the moisture is gone. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 450. Using a fillet knife, butterfly the tenderloin down the center, being careful not to cut all the way through. Season with salt and pepper, add the 2 chopped slices of bacon, basil, and seal the cooled mushroom mixture inside the tenderloin. Roll the tenderloin over, and seal (in 4 places) with the cooking twine. Drizzle with olive oil, and season the outside with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining slice of bacon. (The tenderloin is lean, so the bacon adds a bit of fat during the cooking process).

Cook tenderloin in the oven, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven, reduce the heat to 300 degrees, cover with foil, and cook for about 45-60 minutes, until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1-2 inch medallions.

While the meat is cooking, place the wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in the flour, beef stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is well thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Plate medallions with a generous drizzle of the red wine gravy.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com