Ingredients
Method
- Fire up. Prepare a grill for indirect cooking by placing a chimney full of pre-heated charcoal briquets on one side of the grill’s charcoal grate in order to create direct and indirect cooking zones. Adjust the grill vents to bring the temperature to about 400°F on the indirect side. On a gas grill, adjust the temperature knobs so that one half of the grill is off and the other half is heated enough to maintain a temperature of approximately 400°F on the indirect side.
- Prep. Cut two 12-inch squares of waxed paper or parchment paper. Place 1 paper square on a work surface. Lay half of the pancetta slices on the paper, overlapping them by about 1 inch to create a square large enough to accommodate the length of a tenderloin. Spread half of the mustard evenly over the pancetta and then scatter half of the sage evenly over the mustard.
- Season the tenderloins all over with the salt and pepper. Lay 1 tenderloin on the pancetta square about 1 inch in from the edge nearest you, placing it parallel to the edge. Fold the uncovered edge over the tenderloin and, using the paper, tightly roll up the tenderloin in the pancetta. Repeat with the second paper square and the remaining tenderloin and other ingredients. Let them rest in the paper while the grill finishes heating.
- Cook. Brush the grill grate clean. Remove the paper from each tenderloin, and put the tenderloins on the grate away from the fire. Put the lid down and cook until the pancetta is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the pork registers 145°F, 20 to 25 minutes. If the pancetta is not crisp, use a spatula and tongs to move the tenderloins directly over the fire for the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking, leaving the grill uncovered and turning the tenderloins frequently.
- Serve. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into slices ½ inch thick.
Notes
About the herbs. For a more complex taste, use a mix of herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, and flat-leaf parsley, along with the sage.
Spice it up. Add a pinch of ground cloves along with the black pepper to give the pancetta a taste reminiscent of Italian lardo.
Switch it up. Make Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin With Whiskey BBQ Sauce instead. Use the same technique but replace the pancetta with thinly sliced bacon and replace the mustard mixture with Whiskey BBQ Sauce.