Peppered Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Compound Butter

The holidays create a perfect excuse to impress guests, especially with an indulgent meal featuring beef, bacon, whiskey and cheese!

Ingredients

• 5 slices Kentucky Legend Bacon
• 1 beef tenderloin (2 lb), trimmed

Whiskey Butter:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt

Blue Cheese Compound Butter:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts, divided
• 3 tbsp crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line cutting board with parchment paper. Arrange bacon slices, overlapping slightly, to form rectangle. Place separate sheet of parchment paper on top. Using rolling pin, flatten slightly. Remove top layer of parchment paper; place tenderloin in center of rectangle, perpendicular to bacon slices.
2. Whiskey Butter: In small bowl, stir together butter, shallot, whiskey, Dijon and salt until well combined; spread all over tenderloin. Wrap bacon slices around tenderloin until completely enclosed. Wrap and refrigerate tenderloin for about 1 hour or until firm (this will help to keep butter mixture and bacon intact).
3. Turn tenderloin upside down so bacon seams are on the bottom; roast for about 45 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 145°F, or until desired doneness. Remove from oven. Tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Blue Cheese Compound Butter: Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together butter, 2 tbsp walnuts, blue cheese and garlic until well combined. On large piece of plastic wrap, form compound butter into log shape with rubber spatula. Roll up tightly in plastic wrap, twisting ends to seal. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes until firm.
5. Transfer tenderloin to cutting board; slice through bacon into 3/4 inch-thick slices. Top each slice with slice of Blue Cheese Compound Butter; sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

Tip: To make ahead, prepare bacon-wrapped tenderloin; wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate on a pan or in dish for up to 2 days.