Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Summer arrived and the vaccines had by now reached most of the people in our circle who wanted them. The careful outdoor protocols had loosened. You could be in a room with people again, could eat at a table with more than one other household, could hug someone without doing a mental calculation first. I didn't realize how much I'd been holding back until I stopped having to.

The first real gathering we had—the first one that felt like before without the grief of before—was a Saturday afternoon cookout at my place in late June. Caleb came with River, who was four months old and had become extremely aware of his surroundings in the way that changes a baby from a sleeping lump into an actual person. Lily and Ben drove up from Fayetteville. Hannah's friend Terri came with her daughter. A neighbor from down the road who'd been getting by alone through the pandemic. About twelve people on the back lawn, food on folding tables, kids running.

I cooked most of the day before: a big pork shoulder smoked overnight, ribs on the side rack, coleslaw from the garden cabbage that had come in better than expected, corn on the cob from the first of the season, fry bread made fresh throughout the afternoon so it was always warm.

River sat in a bouncy seat next to the food table and watched everything happening with enormous dark eyes. Kai carried him around for a few minutes with careful permission and looked very responsible doing it. Lily held him for a long time and said something quietly to him that I couldn't hear. The afternoon went until the fireflies came out and by then no one wanted to leave, which is the measure of a good gathering.

That Saturday cookout ran on the kind of momentum you can’t plan for—the food just had to keep up with it. The smoked shoulder and ribs were the anchors of the afternoon, but what I keep coming back to for a weeknight version of that same joy is a simpler cut: pork tenderloin, quick on the grill, piled onto a sturdy roll with all the fixings. It captures the spirit of that day—the smoke, the warmth, the feeling of feeding people you’ve missed—without the overnight cook.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each), trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
6 sturdy sandwich rolls or hoagie buns, split
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
1 cup prepared coleslaw
Sliced dill pickles, for serving

Instructions

Season the pork. Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels. Rub all over with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both tenderloins. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Clean and oil the grates.
Grill the tenderloins. Place tenderloins on the grill and cook, turning every 4–5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 145°F at the thickest part, about 18–22 minutes total. During the last 2 minutes, brush both sides with barbecue sauce.
Rest and slice. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice crosswise into 1/2-inch medallions.
Toast the rolls. Place rolls cut-side down on the grill for 1–2 minutes until lightly toasted.
Assemble the sandwiches. Layer sliced pork onto each roll, drizzle with additional barbecue sauce, top with a generous scoop of coleslaw, and add pickles. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches — The Cookout That Felt Like Before Again