Pancetta Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pancetta, sliced
• 6 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 1/2 lbs boneless beef tenderloin, trimmed and halved crosswise
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups breadcrumbs, plain
• 1 1/4 cups fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, sliced (mixed shiitake and cremini)
• 1/3 cup port wine (tawny or ruby)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 425 degrees f; position the oven rack in the center of the oven.
• 2 in a large skillet, cook pancetta slices, over medium heat, in batches, for 3 minutes, remove pancetta slices to a plate, and set aside.
• 3 heat 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet on medium.
• 4 season tenderloins with salt and pepper, then brown the outside, all over, in skillet about 6 to 8 minutes; remove to work surface to cool.
• 5 meanwhile, in the same skillet, cook chopped pancetta in remaining tablespoon of oil, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.
• 6 add butter and transfer chopped pancetta to a medium bowl.
• 7 add 1/4 cup water to skillet and continue to cook while scraping up any browned bits; add liquid to the bowl.
• 8 to the bowl, add bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; reserve skillet.
• 9 slice tenderloins, lengthwise, 3/4 of the way through, then open like a book, cut side up.
• 10 beginning in the center, slice each side on the diagonal 3/4 of the way through and open again like a book. you are trying to get a flat piece of meat that you can roll up.
• 11 spread half of the stuffing mixture in center, leaving a 1 inch border, roll tenderloins up over the stuffing mixture, arrange half the pancetta slices over the top in an overlapping pattern, and tie with kitchen string at 2 inch intervals; repeat with other tenderloin.
• 12 roast stuffed tenderloins until they register 120 degrees f with meat thermometer, about 25 minutes.
• 13 transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil.
• 14 pour the pan juices into the reserved skillet, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium high heat until browned, about 10 minutes.
• 15 stir in the port wine and cook an additional minute.
• 16 to serve, slice roasts and spoon mushrooms and sauce on top.