College football is officially back! And while I’m really looking forward to rooting for my Iowa Hawkeyes every Saturday this season. I’m just as excited for all of the great game-day meals. Of course, we’ll be feasting on plenty of the classics like baked buffalo wings, pizza dip, corn fritters, and jalapeno poppers. But in honor of this week’s match up between my team (Iowa) against (Iowa State) I wanted to do something related to the midwest. And what dish represents the midwest better than a delicious pork tenderloin sandwich.
What is a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich?
The pork tenderloin sandwich is claimed to have been invented at Nick Kitchen in Huntington Indiana. And many Hoosiers are proud to call it their state dish. But due to the popularity of pork throughout the midwest, it has become just as popular in states like Illinois, and Iowa.
As the name suggests, a pork tenderloin sandwich is, well, simply a sandwich. But the undisputed star of the dish is a thinly pounded piece of pork that has been breaded and fried until crispy. And in many establishments, this piece of pork will be so large that it is twice as large as the burger bun it’s placed on. Pretty crazy right?
And just like a burger, It can feature a number of different toppings. But more often than not it’s either a combination of mustard, pickles, and onion, or mayo, tomato, and lettuce. So if you are a fan of fried chicken sandwiches or fried fish sandwiches these will be right up your alley.
“Tenderloin” is a Bit of a Misnomer
Ok, let’s just get this out of the way because I know it’s going to cause a bit of confusion for some people. A pork tenderloin sandwich isn’t really made out of pork tenderloin…. Well, at least most of the time.
Now I don’t want to claim that there aren’t any restaurants that use actual pork tenderloin in their pork tenderloin sandwiches. Because there certainly are a few. But generally speaking, if you order a pork tenderloin sandwich it will be made out of a pork loin chop.
Why?
Well for starters it’s a much cheaper cut of meat. Secondly, since it’s pre-cut into chops it’s much easier to work with. And lastly, once you pound the meat flat it will be just as soft and tender as a tenderloin. Trust me, I’ve made plenty of pork tenderloin sandwiches using tenderloin, and loin chops. Once it’s flattened, breaded, and deep-fried, you can’t tell the difference!
Now, if you want to be pedantic and insist on using a pork tenderloin, then go ahead and be my guest. But just know that for today’s recipe we will be using pork loin chops, and there’s nothing wrong with doing that.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- When it comes to breading our pork we generally have two options. Bread crumbs, or crackers. I personally prefer to use crushed crackers because it creates an extra crispy and crunchy crust. And while today I will be using saltine crackers, you can just as easily use Ritz, Club, Town House, or even oyster crackers. That being said if you want to use bread crumbs go right ahead. Just make sure that they are plain bread crumbs or panko, you don’t want to use the seasoned variety.
- If you do opt for crackers you will need to make sure that they are properly crushed. And the best and easiest way to do this is to place them in a plastic zip-lock bag. Then use either a rolling pin or your hands to crush them into semi-fine crumbs.
- Check out our lesson on how to use a meat tenderizer if you’ve never used one before.
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the pork:
4 Boneless pork loin chops, roughly ¾ inch thick
Salt & pepper
1 Cup of all-purpose flour
½ Teaspoon of garlic powder
½ Teaspoon of onion powder
3 large eggs, beaten
1 Sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed
Neutral flavored oil for frying
For the sandwich:
4 Hamburger buns
Topping of your choice (mustard, mayo, pickles, onion, tomato, lettuce)
Instructions
- Pound out the pork loin chops: Place one pork chop into a plastic freezer bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the pork chop with the smooth side of a meat tenderizer until it is roughly a ¼ inch thick.
Then take the pork chop out of the bag and lightly pound it with the ridged side of the meat tenderizer a few times on both sides. Repeat this step with all of the pork loin chops and then lightly season them with salt and pepper on each side.
- Set up for breading: Get out three large shallow dishes. In one mix together the flour, garlic powder, and onion powder. In the second beat the eggs together with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. And fill the last one with the crushed saltine crackers.
- Bread the pork chops: Work with one pounded pork chop at a time. Begin by dredging in the flour mixture on each side, and shake off any excess flour.
Next, dip the pork chop in the beaten eggs, and let any excess egg drip off.
Finally, place the chop in the crushed saltine crackers on each side, and make sure to press gently so that it adheres to the pork. 
Set these aside on a plate.
- Fry: Get out a large skillet or walled pan and fill it with enough oil so that it comes up to a little over an inch in the skillet/pan. Place this over medium-high heat and let the oil come to 350℉. Once the oil is hot place one of the breaded pork loins in and let it fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until nicely golden brown in color.
Transfer the fried pork to a wire rack and repeat this step with the remaining pork loin chops.
- Assemble your pork tenderloin sandwiches by placing one piece of fried pork loin on a hamburger bun. Top with onions, pickles, and mustard, or whatever topping you feel like. Enjoy!
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
- meat tenderizer
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 4 Boneless pork loin chops roughly ¾ inch thick
- Salt & pepper
- 1 Cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ Teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ Teaspoon of onion powder
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 Sleeve of saltine crackers crushed
- Neutral flavored oil for frying
For the sandwich:
- 4 Hamburger buns
- Topping of your choice mustard, mayo, pickles, onion, tomato, lettuce
Instructions
- Pound out the pork loin chops: Place one pork chop into a plastic freezer bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the pork chop with the smooth side of a meat tenderizer until it is roughly a ¼ inch thick. Then take the pork chop out of the bag and lightly pound it with the ridged side of the meat tenderizer a few times on both sides. Repeat this step with all of the pork loin chops and then lightly season them with salt and pepper on each side.
- Set up for breading: Get out three large shallow dishes. In one mix together the flour, garlic powder, and onion powder. In the second beat the eggs together with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. And fill the last one with the crushed saltine crackers.
- Bread the pork chops: Work with one pounded pork chop at a time. Begin by dredging in the flour mixture on each side, and shake off any excess flour. Next, dip the pork chop in the beaten eggs, and let any excess egg drip off. Finally, place the chop in the crushed saltine crackers on each side, and make sure to press gently so that it adheres to the pork. Set these aside on a plate.
- Fry: Get out a large skillet or walled pan and fill it with enough oil so that it comes up to a little over an inch in the skillet/pan. Place this over medium-high heat and let the oil come to 350℉. Once the oil is hot place one of the breaded pork loins in and let it fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until nicely golden brown in color. Transfer the fried pork to a wire rack and repeat this step with the remaining pork loin chops.
- Assemble your pork tenderloin sandwiches by placing one piece of fried pork loin on a hamburger bun. Top with onions, pickles, and mustard, or whatever topping you feel like. Enjoy!
