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Soy-Marinated
Pork Tenderloin

with Grilled Asparagus

This one practically runs itself. Get the prep handled early, pour the wine, and let the grill do the rest. Big flavor. Simple moves. Zero stress.

Soy-marinated pork tenderloin with grilled asparagus
♨
SERVES
2
◷
PREP
15 MIN
♨
COOK
25 MIN
★
DIFFICULTY
★☆☆☆☆

WHAT YOU’RE MAKING

Soy-Marinated
Pork Tenderloin
Grilled
Asparagus

THE DRINKS

Cabernet Sauvignon

THE MOVE
Grab a solid Cabernet.
Open it 20–30 minutes before dinner.
Pour a glass while you finish the grill work.
Bold, smooth and easy. It works with the soy-marinated pork and grilled asparagus without turning drinks into another project. Top it off when the pork hits the grill.
Learning Point — Let the Wine Breathe Opening the bottle 20–30 minutes before dinner gives the wine a little time with oxygen and can soften the rough edges. No decanter required. Pop the cork and move on with your life.

WHAT YOU NEED

Soy-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

  • 2 pork tenderloins
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil — or whatever cooking oil you’ve got
  • 1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp onion powder or granulated onion
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Grilled Asparagus

  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • Seasoning salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp dill weed, if you’ve got it
  • Olive oil for grilling

Gear

  • Large zip-top bag or shallow dish
  • Grill or oven
  • Tongs
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Aluminum foil

Cabernet Sauvignon

  • 1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 2 wine glasses
  • Corkscrew — unless you enjoy creating unnecessary problems

BEFORE SHE GETS THERE

  • 2–4 hours before — marinate the pork. Put the tenderloins, soy sauce, oil, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper into a large zip-top bag. Seal it and get it into the fridge.
  • Trim the woody ends off the asparagus. Keep it ready for the grill, but don’t oil and season it yet.
  • 30 minutes before — open the Cabernet. Let it breathe while you finish getting the kitchen together.
  • Set the table. Clear the clutter. Kill the overhead lights. Lamp, candles, music. Date-night rules apply.
  • Get the grill area ready: tongs, thermometer, cutting board and foil where you can grab them without hunting around.
  • Right before cooking, take the pork out of the fridge so it isn’t ice cold when it hits the grill.
  • Clean as you go. The pork is easy. Don’t let the kitchen look like you fought it and lost.
  • Get yourself ready. Shower. Clean shirt. Easy on the cologne. Dinner should smell better than you do.
Pork is marinating.
Wine is open.
Grill is ready.
So are you.

PLAY BY PLAY

  1. MARINATE THE PORK
    Put the pork tenderloins in a large zip-top bag with the soy sauce, oil, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Seal it, work the marinade around the pork and refrigerate for 2–4 hours.
  2. GET THE GRILL HOT
    Preheat the grill so the grates are good and hot before the pork goes on. You want a real sear — not pale meat slowly wondering what went wrong.
  3. GET THE PORK READY
    Take the pork out of the marinade and let the excess drip off. Pat the outside dry enough that it can actually brown on the grill.
  4. PORK ON
    Put the tenderloins on the hot grill. Close the lid and leave them alone long enough to build some color.
  5. FLIP IT
    After about 8 minutes, turn the pork and keep grilling. This is a good time to pour a little more Cabernet.
  6. START CHECKING THE TEMP
    Use the instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the tenderloin. When the pork reaches 150°F, pull it from the grill.
    YO DUDE!
    Don't guess. Don't poke it and hope. The thermometer makes the call. When the thickest part hits 150°F, pull it. The pork will keep cooking while it rests.
    S&S SAVE
    Pork getting too dark before the center hits 150°F? Move it to a cooler part of the grill, close the lid, and let it finish more gently. Brown is good. Burnt isn't a personality trait.
  7. LET IT REST
    Put the pork on the cutting board and tent it loosely with foil. Give it a few minutes before slicing. Cutting into it immediately is how you turn the cutting board into a juice tray.
LEARNING POINT — CARRYOVER COOKING Pulling the pork from the grill doesn’t mean the cooking instantly stops. The center keeps heating for a few minutes while it rests. Resting also gives the juices time to settle back into the meat instead of running all over the cutting board. Science is your wingman.
  1. GRILL THE ASPARAGUS
    While the pork rests, toss the asparagus lightly with olive oil, seasoning salt, black pepper and dill weed if you’re using it. Grill until tender with a little char.
  2. SLICE + SERVE
    Slice the pork across the grain. Plate it with the grilled asparagus, top off the wine and get back to the reason you cooked dinner in the first place.

THE TIMELINE

5:30
Pork into the marinade. Earlier is fine. Get it in the fridge and forget about it for a while.
6:30
Open the Cabernet. Clean up the kitchen, set the table and get the music ready.
7:00
She’s here. Hand her a glass of wine. Relax. Dinner is under control.
7:10
Grill on. Get it hot. Pull the pork from the refrigerator.
7:20
Pork on. Hot grill. Close the lid. Let it work.
7:28
Flip the pork. Pour a little more wine. You’ve got this.
7:36
Start checking temperature. At 150°F, pull the pork and tent it loosely with foil.
7:40
Asparagus on. Oil, season and grill it while the pork rests.
7:46
Plate it. Pull the asparagus, slice the pork and top off the wine.
7:50
Dinner. Food’s hot. Phone away. Get back to the date.

★ BONUS POINTS

  • FRESH HERBS.
    Chop a little fresh parsley and scatter it over the sliced pork. Ten seconds of work. Suddenly the plate looks like you planned this.
  • GARLIC HERB BUTTER.
    Put a small pat over the warm sliced pork and let it melt. Minimal effort. Maximum “where the hell did you learn that?” energy.
  • WARM THE DINNER PLATES.
    Give the plates a couple minutes somewhere warm before serving. Warm plates keep dinner hot. Hot dinner buys you time to actually sit down.
  • KILL THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS.
    Lamp. Candles. Music. You grilled pork tenderloin. Don’t serve it under lighting that makes the kitchen look like a hardware store.
  • KEEP DESSERT SIMPLE.
    Chocolate, berries or whatever she actually likes. Dinner already did the heavy lifting. Don’t start another cooking project.

★ THE FINISH

Slice it. Pour the wine. Enjoy the win.
  1. Asparagus first. Lay the grilled asparagus together on one side of the plate. Keep it neat instead of throwing green sticks everywhere.
  2. Slice the pork. Cut the tenderloin across the grain into clean slices. Fan a few pieces beside the asparagus.
  3. Give the pork the prime real estate. Let those browned edges face up. If you made the garlic herb butter, now is its moment.
  4. Clean the plate. Wipe any stray sauce or food from the rim before it hits the table.
  5. You’re done performing. Dinner’s hot. The wine is poured. The kitchen can wait. Move your ass away from the grill and go enjoy the reason you cooked all this in the first place. Good food leads to amazing nights.
THE S&S PHOTO RULE Looks like the picture?
No? Perfect!
Would Bob Ross call our picture a happy place? Probably. Yours might need a fan brush and a little crimson red. Honest effort, amazing food, and the night is young.
Soy-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Asparagus