ROASTED BEEF TENDERLOIN WRAPPED IN BACON

Roasted Beef Tenderloin Wrapped in Bacon image

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 3-pound beef tenderloin piece (large end), trimmed
12 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled garlic (from about 4 cloves)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 pound bacon slices
3 8- to 9-inch-long fresh rosemary branches

Steps:

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