Asian Pork Slider Recipe (or wraps)

Pineapple and garlic marinated pork tenderloin brushed with hoisin sauce is the perfect base for these bold two-bite Asian Sliders.  This Asian pork slider recipe for two hits on the 4 “must haves” of any slider sandwich - a crispy, lightly charred exterior; tender, juicy interior, and soft buns served with a simple miso-scallion mayo sauce and a dash of hot sauce.  You can pull off these sliders year-round, roasting the pork in the oven any time or putting it on the grill when it’s too hot for the oven.

Sliders are eye-catching and always receive exclamations of joy and welcome when placed on the table.  It’s easy to grab one (or more!) of these two-bite sandwiches and still have room on the plate for blueberry salad, BBQ baked beans, my favorite roasted beet salad, a deli potato salad or a handful of chips.

Want to skip the bun?  Serve the pork and fixings wrapped in lettuce leaves or on bowls of steamed rice.  With a bun or without they make a fun and simple weeknight Asian inspired dinner for two.

This version of miniature sandwiches, focuses on creating tender pork slices with citrusy-garlic flavor throughout, soft, steamy buns, and miso-mayo with scallion sauce to add to the bold Asian flavors.

The recipe is adapted from Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion in their The Five Hallmarks of a Keeper.  And, after playing around to make this recipe for two – I declare it is a keeper.  One I hope you will make again and again. 

What you'll need

Marinating the pork is one of the secrets to creating slices of tender, juicy, full flavored pork.  If you can’t spare any time in the morning, marinate the pork for as long as you can before cooking (up to an hour at room temperature; any longer and it should be refrigerated).  For a super shortcut I have opted for a pre-marinated cut like Hormel Lemon Garlic Pork Loin Filet. 

Let’s quickly chat about some of the key ingredients and tools you will need.

Pork Marinade Ingredients:

• Pineapple juice – I buy the individual juice cans of pineapple juice as we will only need about 2 cups.
• Garlic – We’ll slice the cloves and add to the marinade to create a garlicky citrus marinade.

Asian Slider Ingredients for Two:

• Marinated pork tenderloin (about 11/4 pounds) - When cooking pork tenderloin for two the right quantity will be a smaller loin that is around 1 – 1 ¼ lbs.   Most pork tenderloin is sold in packages of 2 loins, so freeze the second loin for a future use.  You can always opt for a pre-marinated pork loin like Hormel’s Lemon Garlic Pork Loin Filet
• Vegetable oil – this will be used to keep the pork from sticking to the grill grates or bottom of your roasting pan.
• Salt and pepper
• Hoisin sauce – We’ll brush this on the marinated pork right before roasting.  Plus we will pass around extra hoisin for guests to add more if desired.

Finishings and Toppings:

• Dinner-size potato rolls – Pick up your favorite slider roll at the store, but I really like the softness of potato rolls.
• Lettuce – If you want to ditch the buns you can serve the pork and fixings in lettuce leaves or on bowls of steamed rice.
• Scallions – We are going to use both the white parts and light green parts to add to the miso-mayo and to pass separately as a topping.
• White Miso paste – I like to use Minute Miso found in the Asian aisle with the other sauces at most grocery stores.  A refrigerated white miso paste also works here. 
• Mayo – you can use a full fat or light version either work well. It really is what you prefer or have on hand.
• Lime zest and juice – I add zest to the miso-mayo to bring through the bright citrus flavors.  I have found it is easiest to first zest the lime before cutting and juicing.
• Sriracha or hot sauce of your choice – I love to give my sliders an extra kick of spice.  Passing this with the sliders lets each guest add as much or as little as they desire.
• Quick Pickling Recipes for Slider Toppings that will turn your slider game up to eleven! Imagine biting into a juicy pork slider topped with tangy pickled red onions, crisp and cool cucumbers and creamy, yet zippy avocado pickles.

See recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

• Cast Iron Skillet – I like using my cast iron skillet for this recipe. It can go directly on the grill or in the oven and creates the characteristic crisp and lightly charred exterior we love about sliders.  I like to use my 10-inch cast iron skillet as most pork tenderloins are often long and this gives the tenderloin enough room so we can brown and sear all sides.
• Instant read meat thermometer – To achieve a tender juicy interior, we don’t want to overcook the pork.  Using an instant read thermometer will help you gauge when the meat is done.
• Basting brush – we are going to coat the marinated pork with hoisin sauce.  I like to use this heatproof basting brush.

Marinating the pork

Alright, got your ingredients and tools ready?  Here’s how to make the perfect Asian pork slider for two!

Marinate the pork.  Start by placing a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag in a medium bowl.  Pour in the pineapple juice, garlic and the pork.  Press out any air in the bag, seal and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

Marinating tip:  If you can’t spare any time in the morning, marinate the pork for as long as you can before cooking (up to an hour at room temperature; any longer and it should be refrigerated).  Using a pre-marinated pork loin is totally acceptable, look for a citrus flavor like lemon and garlic.

How to grill pork - outdoors or indoors

Sear and roast.   Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet, I like using a cast iron skillet for its ability to maintain a high heat and non-stick properties that help achieve a nice golden-brown sear. Remove tenderloin from marinade, pat dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper and place in the skillet, cook until well-browned on all sides.

Grilling Pork Tip:  If using the grill, make sure your grill is hot.  Heat oil in skillet on stove top, then remove and pat dry the tenderloin before placing in the skillet and cook until well browned on all sides. 

You can also place the tenderloin directly on the grates, make sure you oil the grates first by putting oil on a triple layered paper towel that has been dipped into vegetable oil. Don't forget to pat dry and season your tenderloin before placing it on the hot grill.

Coat the pork with hoisin. Now using a basting brush, coat the top half of the pork with hoisin sauce, roast it, flip it, then coat the top half with more hoisin sauce.

Continue to roast.  Pork is best cooked until the thickest part of the meat reaches 135 - 140 degrees.

How to make miso-mayo slider sauce

Combine the minute miso, mayo, a squeeze of lime juice and some lime zest together in a bowl.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Need more citrus?   Add more lime juice.  If the miso flavor is too strong, add more mayo. The sauce will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.

Slice the Pork.  Slice it, then put the pork slices on light, fluffy potato rolls , lettuce leaves or steamed rice with extra miso-mayo, hoisin and sliced scallions.

How many pounds of pork per person for sliders?

Want to know how much meat per person for Asian pork sliders?  It is best to use a little bit of simple math.  Mike from my local Cub grocery store recommends ⅓ pound of cooked tenderloin per person to assure you have enough food.  However, keep in mind cooking the meat causes it to shrink and lose up to 30 - 40% of its weight in moisture and fat.

So, how much pork tenderloin do you need for two?

Multiply the number of guests by desired amount of cooked meat, then multiply this number by 2 to take into consideration that cooked meat will shrink.  For example, 2 guests x ⅓ lb = ⅔ pound.  Now we will multiply this number by 2 to get 1 ⅓ lbs.  This is the weight of raw pork that is needed to feed the two of you plus leftovers.

For this recipe I search out a 1 – 1 ¼ lb pork tenderloin and that is the right amount to feed us along with a few other side dishes.

Best buns and toppings for pork sliders

Now that the tenderloin has been perfectly cooked and sliced, let’s begin building our sliders.  For Asian pork tenderloin meat, the best buns are a brioche, potato or pretzel.

Ideas for toppings:

• Miso mayo – see the recipe card below
• Sriracha or hot sauce of your preference
• Sliced scallions
• Lettuce Leaves – skip the bun and serve the pork and fixings in lettuce leaves or over steamed rice
• Quick Pickling Recipes for Slider Toppings turn your slider game up to eleven! Imagine biting into a juicy pork slider topped with tangy pickled red onions, crisp and cool cucumbers and creamy, yet zippy avocado pickles.

Common questions about this recipe

You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.

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Related

Looking for other pork recipes for two? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Asian pork sliders or wraps: