The roast can be prepped one day ahead. What to drink: A robust, medium- to full-bodied red, such as an Italian Barbera. Susan Simon also recommends a Carlo Hauner 1998 Rosso Antonello (made with Sangiovese and Nero d'Avolo grapes); it's produced on the Italian island of Salina.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
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.)
Step 2
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.
Step 3
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.
