Drum roll please….one of my favourite dishes is being pulled out of the oven, pork tenderloin wellington. Juicy tenderloin with the subtle aromatics of thyme wrapped in a buttery blanket of puff pastry. Kim put this on the menu a few years back and to this day it still ranks high on my list. I can confirm that by the piece I just snitched off the tip!
Easy to grow, thyme has a subtle aroma and a slight minty flavour. It goes well with pork, poultry, lamb and soups.
Thawing the puff pastry
One of the first things you’ll want to do is thaw out the puff pastry. We generally take the package out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter. Thirty to forty minutes should do. You don’t want to let the pastry get warm, it should be cool and pliable so it does not crack when unfolded. The other option is to let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
Prep the filling
Now would be a good time to prepare the mixture for the tenderloin while the pastry is thawing. Add the olive oil to a saucepan and sauté the chopped bacon and onion for a few minutes until the onions are soft. Add the dijon and thyme, stirring until combined. Let the mixture cool.
Putting it all together
Once the pastry is thawed out, gently unfold it on a floured surface. Roll it into 10 X 12 inch rectangle (25 x 30 cm). Spread out the bacon and onion mixture on the lower third of the puff pastry. Use the size of the tenderloin as a guide and leave an approximate two inch border from the edge of the pastry.
Lay the tenderloin on top of the bacon onion mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. If the tenderloin has a skinny tail fold it under. Brush the exposed pastry with beaten egg.
Starting from the bottom, fold the pastry over the tenderloin and proceed by folding over the sides.
Roll the tenderloin so that it is fully encased in pastry. Place seam side down on a pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with the remaining beaten egg. Prick or slice the top in a several locations.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ (convection if available) for 30 – 35 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown. If your not using a convection oven, set the temperature to 375℉
Slice the cooked pork tenderloin wellington into pieces and serve. You can usually get 8 decent slices from a medium size tenderloin. A two ounce slice comes in at just 284 calories. The tenderloin serves well with a green salad, roasted vegetables, rice or mashed potatoes.
Pork tenderloin wellington
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 slices bacon
- ⅓ cup red onion chopped
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp half and half cream
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 package puff pastry
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 12-16 oz pork tenderloin
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ Convection bake or 375℉ Bake
- Heat the canola oil in a skillet. Saute the bacon and chopped onions until the onions are soft. Add the mustard, cream and thyme, combine, allow to thicken and remove from heat.
- Roll out the puff pastry to a 10 x 12 inch rectangle.
- Spread the sauteed onion and bacon on the lower third of the puff pastry leaving a two inch border from the edge. Place the tenderloin on top of the mix, salt and pepper to taste.
- From the bottom, fold the pastry over the tenderloin. Brush the exposed puff pastry with beaten egg. Fold from the sides like a package and roll the tenderloin/pastry so that it is fully encased.
- Place seam side down on a pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg and slice or pierce the top in several locations to allow steam to escape.Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
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