Roasted Beef Tenderloin Wrapped in Bacon

The roast can be prepped one day ahead. From Bon Appétit, February 2003.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3  lbs beef tenderloin, trimmed (large end)
• 4  garlic cloves (cut into 12 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled garlic)
• 1  tablespoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1  lb bacon, slices
• 3  fresh rosemary, branches (8-9-inch-long)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Using small sharp knife, cut twelve 1-inch-deep slits all over beef tenderloin.
3. Insert garlic slices into slits.
4. Rub pepper all over tenderloin.
5. Arrange bacon slices on work surface, overlapping slightly and forming rectangle.
6. Place 1 rosemary branch down center of bacon rectangle, perpendicular to bacon slices.
7. Place tenderloin atop rosemary branch.
8. Place remaining 2 rosemary branches atop tenderloin.
9. Wrap bacon slices around tenderloin and rosemary to enclose tenderloin completely.
10. Place tenderloin in roasting pan, bacon ends down. (Can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
11. Roast tenderloin until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125°F for rare, about 1 hour.
12. Remove from oven. Tent with foil and let tenderloin stand 10 minutes.
13. Transfer tenderloin to cutting board.
14. Reserve pan drippings for gravy, if desired.
15. Using large sharp knife, cut tenderloin through bacon and rosemary into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve.