Whole pork fillet wrapped in bacon with herb cream mushrooms, hunter's style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 pork fillet(s), approx. 500 g
• 400 g bacon slices
• salt and pepper
• Thyme
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 onions
• 100 ml white wine (e.g. Riesling) and a splash for the mushrooms
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp juniper berries
• 2 tbsp oil
• 500 g mushrooms, fresh, medium-sized
• 1 cup of cream
• 1 cup crème fraîche with herbs
• 1 handful of dried mushrooms (preferably porcini mushrooms)
• ½ bunch parsley, flat
• Rosemary, ground
• Vegetable broth, granulated
• 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Wonderfully juicy and delicious

The pork fillet should be taken out of the refrigerator about half an hour in advance so that it is at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200°C with a rack on the middle shelf. Trim the pork fillet carefully, removing as many tendons and silver skins as possible. Season the pork fillet with pepper, rub with thyme and a crushed garlic clove, and add just a little salt, as the bacon also adds salt. Set aside. Spread a large piece of cling film on the work surface. It should be larger than the fillet. You will need it for rolling it up. Lay 300g of bacon slices overlapping on the cling film. Cut enough so that about two slices extend over the ends of the fillet. Place the fillet on the bacon and fold in the tapered end to create the same cross-section along the entire length. Now take the front end of the film, lift it up, and use the film to wrap the bacon around the fillet. When it is half folded, fold in the overlapping ends of the bacon and then continue rolling until the fillet is completely wrapped. Of course, peel the foil off the bacon every now and then. Set the fillet parcel aside for now. Peel an onion and cut into large cubes. Heat oil in a pan and place the pork fillet in the hot oil with the seam facing down, i.e. where the bacon overlaps, and fry until golden brown. This will ensure that the bacon sticks together and no longer unravels. Now gradually fry the fillet on all sides over medium heat until the bacon is golden brown all over. Remove the fillet from the pan and place in a baking dish. Do not clean the pan. Sauté the onion in the fat. Deglaze with approx. 100 ml of white wine. Add the bay leaves and juniper berries and bring back to a boil briefly. Pour the oil over the fillet in the baking dish and place in the oven for approx. 20 minutes. For the mushrooms, first prepare all the ingredients and have a few bowls ready. Brush off any dirt and trim the stems. Depending on their size, cut the mushrooms into quarters or sixths. Peel the second onion and finely dice. Dice the remaining bacon. Finely chop the dried mushrooms and soak them in a little lukewarm water. Cut the garlic clove into wafer-thin slices. Melt the butter in the pan that held the fillet. Add the onions and sauté. Add the garlic and bacon and sauté for a maximum of 2 minutes. Caution: Don’t let the garlic burn. Add the mushrooms and sauté at 2/3 of the heat, stirring occasionally. When the mushrooms begin to release water, deglaze with a good splash of white wine and add the cream and the soaked dried mushrooms along with the soaking water. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. The fillet should be cooked by now. Remove from the dish, wrap in aluminum foil, and let rest for about 5 minutes. Roughly chop the parsley. Add the crème fraîche to the mushrooms and reduce the heat. Don’t let the sauce boil, or the crème fraîche might curdle. Now comes the fun part: Season the mushrooms with salt, pepper, a pinch of thyme, a little rosemary, and, if desired, a little vegetable stock granules. Just before serving, sprinkle the parsley over the mushroom sauce and toss everything together again. Cut the meat into slices and serve with the mushrooms. I serve it with baguette and a good red wine. Rosemary potatoes would also be a good option.