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Honey-Garlic Pork
Tenderloin

with Glazed Mushrooms, Scallion Rice & Sesame Roasted Broccoli

Juicy pork tenderloin with a glossy honey-garlic glaze and savory mushrooms, served with scallion rice and sesame roasted broccoli. Big flavor, sharp-looking plate, and completely manageable for two.

Warm apartment kitchen dinner for two with Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin, glazed mushrooms, scallion rice and sesame roasted broccoli
♨
SERVES
2
◷
PREP
20 MIN
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COOK
40 MIN
★
DIFFICULTY
★★☆☆☆

WHAT YOU’RE MAKING

Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin
with Glazed Mushrooms
Scallion
Rice
Sesame Roasted
Broccoli

THE DRINKS

Ginger Lime Fizz

PER PERSON
2 oz vodka
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
2–3 thin slices fresh ginger
3 oz club soda
Ice
Lime wheel
Gently muddle the ginger with the lime juice and simple syrup. Add vodka and ice, shake, then strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda and finish with a lime wheel.

WITH DINNER: Pinot Noir.
Learning Point — Why the Fizz Works The ginger and lime echo the flavors in the honey-garlic glaze, while the bubbles keep the drink bright against the sweet-savory pork and buttery scallion rice.

S&S Move: Sweet-savory food? Keep the drink bright, cold and bubbly.

WHAT YOU NEED

Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin & Glazed Mushrooms

  • 1 pork tenderloin, about 1–1¼ lb
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 6 oz cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water
Secret Weapon — The Rest
Give the pork 8–10 minutes before slicing. That keeps the juices in the meat instead of all over the cutting board—and gives you time to build the mushrooms and glossy honey-garlic glaze.

Scallion Rice

  • ¾ cup jasmine rice
  • 1½ cups chicken stock
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • Pinch kosher salt

Sesame Roasted Broccoli

  • 10–12 oz broccoli florets
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

Gear

  • Large oven-safe skillet
  • Medium saucepan with lid
  • Sheet pan
  • Tongs
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Small bowl for the cornstarch slurry
  • Collins glasses or tall glasses

BEFORE SHE GETS THERE

  • Prep the pork. Pat the tenderloin dry, trim any silver skin and season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover and refrigerate.
  • Build the glaze. Measure the honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Mix the cornstarch and water separately so everything is ready when the pork comes out.
  • Prep the sides. Slice the scallions and mushrooms. Measure the rice and stock. Cut the broccoli into even florets and have the sesame oil and sesame seeds ready.
  • Get the drinks ready. Chill the vodka and club soda. Slice the ginger and limes, fill the ice tray and have the Pinot Noir ready for dinner.
  • Clean the evidence. Cutting board away, counters wiped, sink empty.
  • Clean yourself up. Shower, clean shirt, brush your teeth. Easy on the cologne — one spritz. You’re having dinner, not fogging for mosquitoes.
  • Set the room. Music on, lights down, couch straightened.
  • Hit the bathroom. Give it a quick wipe-down and, for God’s sake, man, make sure there’s toilet paper.
Food ready.
Place ready.
You’re ready. It’s game time.

PLAY BY PLAY

  1. GET THE BROCCOLI STARTED
    Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss 10–12 oz broccoli florets with 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp kosher salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Spread the broccoli out on a sheet pan and roast for 12 minutes. We're not finishing it yet. Pull the pan out and set it aside. We'll put it back in later so the broccoli finishes hot and crispy right when dinner is ready.
  2. START THE SCALLION RICE
    Bring 1½ cups chicken stock to a boil. Stir in ¾ cup jasmine rice, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook according to the package directions. When it's done, turn off the heat and leave it covered. We'll finish it with the butter and scallions right before we plate.
  3. BROWN THE WHOLE PORK TENDERLOIN
    Lower the oven to 400°F. Pat your 1–1¼ lb pork tenderloin dry. Season all over with ¾ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp garlic powder. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the whole tenderloin in the skillet. Let it brown for about 2 minutes, then turn it. Keep turning and browning until you've got good color all the way around. Don't chase it around the skillet. Brown it. Turn it. Brown it. Turn it.
  4. FINISH THE PORK — AND THE BROCCOLI
    Put the skillet with the pork into the 400°F oven. At the same time, put the broccoli back in on its sheet pan. The pork should need roughly 10–15 minutes. Start checking the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer around the 10-minute mark. Pull the pork when it reaches 145°F. Check the broccoli while you're there. You want it hot, browned at the edges, and tender with a little bite. If it's ready before the pork, pull it. Toss the finished broccoli with 1 tsp sesame seeds and set it somewhere warm.
    YO DUDE!
    This is why we own a thermometer. Pork doesn't send you a text when it's done. 145°F. Pull it.
LEARNING MOMENT — 145°F + A REST

Pork tenderloin is lean. Keep cooking it “just to be safe” and you'll turn a great piece of meat into expensive chewing gum. Pull it at 145°F, move it to a cutting board, and let the whole tenderloin rest for 8–10 minutes.

  1. FINISH THE RICE
    While the pork rests, uncover the rice and fluff it with a fork. Fold in 1 Tbsp butter and most of your 2 thinly sliced scallions. Save a little scallion for the finished plate. Put the lid back on. The rice is done and it'll stay hot while you make the sauce.
  2. BROWN THE MUSHROOMS
    Put the pork skillet back over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp butter and 6 oz sliced cremini mushrooms. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're browned. We're using the same skillet on purpose. All those browned bits left behind by the pork are coming with us.
  3. BUILD THE HONEY-GARLIC GLAZE
    Add 3 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes if you want a little heat. Stir everything through the mushrooms and let it gently bubble for about 1 minute. Now make your slurry. Mix equal parts cornstarch and cold water until completely smooth. For this sauce, use 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp cold water. Slowly stir it into the simmering sauce and cook for 30–60 seconds, until the sauce becomes glossy and thick enough to cling to the pork.
LEARNING MOMENT — THE SLURRY

A slurry is a thickener made with equal parts cornstarch and cold water. Mix it smooth first, then stir it into the hot sauce so it thickens without clumping.

  1. SLICE + GLAZE THE PORK
    Your pork has rested. Now you slice it. Cut the tenderloin into thick medallions. Spoon the hot honey-garlic mushrooms and glaze over the pork. Don't drown it. We still want the pork to look like pork.
  2. BRING THE WHOLE DINNER HOME
    Give the rice one last fluff. Check the broccoli. If it needs a little heat after sitting, slide it back into the still-hot oven for 2 minutes while you start plating. Now everything comes together hot. Start with the scallion rice. Lay several pork medallions partly over it. Spoon the honey-garlic mushrooms and glaze over the pork. Put the sesame roasted broccoli alongside. Finish with your reserved scallions and a few sesame seeds. Pour the Pinot Noir. Wipe the rim of the plate if you got sauce on it.

    You made Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin. Don't stand there admiring it. She's hungry. Serve it.

THE TIMELINE

6:15
Prep the pork. Trim silver skin, pat dry and season. Back in the fridge.
6:25
Prep everything else. Slice mushrooms and scallions. Cut broccoli. Measure the glaze ingredients.
6:35
Drink prep. Slice ginger and limes. Chill vodka and club soda. Pinot Noir ready for dinner.
6:40
Get yourself ready. Shower. Clean shirt. Kitchen's under control. Now make sure you are too.
6:55
Final reset. Table ready. Music on. Counters clean. Overhead lights off.
7:00
She's here. Door. Smile. Date. The pork can wait a few minutes.
7:05
Make the Ginger Lime Fizzes. Have the first drink with her. You're not running a restaurant.
7:15
Broccoli in. Oven at 425°F. Roast until browned and crisp at the edges.
7:20
Start the rice. Stock, jasmine rice, lid on. Let it do its thing.
7:32
Broccoli out. Toss with sesame seeds. Lower oven to 400°F.
7:34
Sear the pork. Brown it all around, about 2 minutes per side.
7:42
Pork into the oven. Roast at 400°F. Start checking the temperature early.
7:45
Finish the rice. Rest 5 minutes, fluff, then butter + scallions.
7:54
Pork out at 145°F. Rest it 8–10 minutes. Don't slice it yet.
7:55
Mushrooms + glaze. Brown the mushrooms, then build the glossy honey-garlic sauce.
8:04
Slice + plate. Rice, pork, glazed mushrooms, broccoli. Pour the Pinot Noir.
8:07
Dinner. Food hot. Wine poured. Phone away.

★ BONUS POINTS

  • CHILL THE COLLINS GLASSES.
    Put two Collins glasses in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Tiny move. Cold glass. Better drink. Easy points.
  • WARM THE DINNER PLATES.
    Put them in a low oven for a few minutes before plating. Warm plates—not molten plates. We're serving dinner, not removing fingerprints.
  • KILL THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS.
    Lamp. Candles. Music. You just made Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin. Don't serve it under lighting that makes your kitchen look like a pharmacy.
  • HAVE THE FIRST DRINK WITH HER.
    Make the Ginger Lime Fizzes and get away from the stove for a few minutes. She came over to spend time with you. The pork can survive five minutes without emotional support.

★ THE FINISH

Stop cooking. Start the date.
  1. Clear the dinner plates. Get the food out of the way. The kitchen can wait.
  2. Refresh the drinks. Another Ginger Lime Fizz, a glass of Pinot Noir, or whatever you two are feeling.
  3. Change the scenery. Couch. Patio. Fireplace. Somewhere that doesn't feel like you're still at dinner.
  4. Put the phone away. You already got the food picture. The rest of the night doesn't need an audience.
  5. YOU'RE DONE PERFORMING. The food got you here. What happens next is the whole damn point.

    Good food leads to amazing nights.
THE S&S PHOTO RULE Looks like the picture?
No? Perfect…
If the pork is juicy and she’s smiling, you nailed it. DON'T Spike your hair, throw on sunglasses and yell, “Welcome to Flavortown!” Our pictures are for inspiration--not intimidation. Honest effort, amazing food and the night is young.
Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Glazed Mushrooms, Scallion Rice and Sesame Roasted Broccoli