Recipe by Tiffany Gaston, Fitness Model & Paleo Foodie
You can stop pinching yourself—that really says maple bacon, and yes, this high-five worthy dinner is 100 percent clean. No, you’re not dreaming, but this recipe could be a dream come true for bacon lovers who also happen to be fitness buffs. Sure, bacon has a rep for being riddled with preservatives, sodium and heart-stopping saturated fat, but it doesn’t have to be the bad guy we’ve chalked it up to be.
How is this possible? For starters, you have to be picky when it comes to shopping for your meat candy; not just any kind will do. Being unprocessed and naturally flavored automatically drops bacon’s junk-food status down to decent source of protein. But this means spending a little extra coin on cuts with the fewest ingredients you can find (the list should contain little more than meat, water, salt, and sugar) and sourcing hormone- and antibiotic-free varieties, preferably from a local or sustainable farm.
Next, combine reasonable portions (as opposed to six greasy strips served swimming in its own fat) with nutrient-rich veggies, like the vibrant green asparagus we’ve paired with this dish, and voila! Bacon is back on the menu, and it’s not even a cheat day.
Pork Medallions with Maple Bacon Reduction
Prep Time: 15 min • Total Time: 30 min • Makes 4 servings
• 1-1.5 lbs pork tenderloin
• 3 strips of bacon
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp sea salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
1. Heat a large frying pan to medium heat and cook bacon until crisp. Set aside on paper towels to drain and cool. Drain most of the fat from the pan, leaving enough to coat the bottom.
2. Sauté minced garlic in remaining bacon fat until lightly browned. Pour in apple cider vinegar and turn up to medium high heat to deglaze the pan, scraping the sides well.
3. Add in maple syrup and continue cooking until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
4. While you wait for your sauce to reduce, trim pork of any excess fat and cut into 1” medallions and season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat oil to medium-high heat in a large skillet. Sear pork for 2-3 minutes per side until browned on all sides and remove from heat.
6. Remove the reduction from heat and stir in crumbled bacon. Drizzle over pork medallions and serve with your favorite fresh veg.
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 261, Fat: 12 g, Carbs: 28 g, Protein: 26 g, Fiber: 0 g
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