Cooking a perfect, center cut beef tenderloin is one of our favorite, classic “special occassion” dishes to make when entertaining. Surprisingly easy to prepare, as this delicate, delicious cut of meat needs little enhancement to make it taste any better than it already does.  Usually we just rub it with a bit salt and pepper, freshly chopped rosemary and garlic a few hours before we cook it, adding a touch of olive oil to help the rub stick to the meat.  Last week, however, we were cooking for some bacon loving friends, so after cooking a batch of bacon to include in my Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Sugar, I let the fat harden just a bit to be able to use it instead of oil in the rub.  The result, an extra layer of smoky richness in the already decadent dish.  Delicious!

Recipe:

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Bacon…