It's not Texas, it is Indiana and it is good!~~~Debbie

HOW TO MAKE A DEEP FRIED BREADED PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICH

The deep fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich probably owes its roots to
weiner schnitzel, the German recipe for deep fried and breaded veal cutlets.
It is believed the first pork tenderloin sandwich was created by Nick
Frienstein in 1904 selling them as a street vendor. In 1908 he opened Nick's
Kitchen, a cafe in Huntington, Indiana. He originally called them veal
sandwiches. Whether they were veal at that time is unknown to us today but
they definitely evolved as the deep fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich
we know.

The photo tutorials are my attempts to make this delicious sandwich in
different ways. I believe I have achieved very good results equal to
anything I have tasted in the many restaurants I have visited. The following
is my recommended recipe along with optional ingredients and preparatory
methods.

Ingredients to make 4 pork tenderloin sandwiches:

1 pork tenderloin (about 20-24 oz.)
4 sandwich buns
1 gallon canola oil if deep fat frying
1 quart buttermilk for the marinade
2 whole eggs for the marinade
1/4 cup of white flour for the marinade
Pinch of salt and black pepper for the marinade
1 tablespoon dry mustard for the marinade
1 or 2 cloves of freshly chopped garlic for the marinade
Pinch of Emeril's Original Essence seasoning or Cayenne for punch for the
marinade
1 package of Japanese bread crumbs for the breading
1/4 cup yellow corn meal for the breading
Sliced tomato, sliced onion, lettuce, mustard, mayo, and pickle condiments
to suit

The most important ingredient since pork tenderloin sandwiches are sometimes
(but incorrectly) called pounded or hammered pig butts is Leinenkugel's Big
Butt beer to get you through the agonizing overnight marinade period.

Buy a pork tenderloin, not pork loins or pork chops. Pork loins could be an
acceptable substitute but not pork chops. The pork tenderloin is the leanest
and tenderest of pork. To make four sandwiches you need a pork tenderloin of
about 1-1/2 pounds. Typically they are about as thick as a person's wrist
and about 10-12 inches long.

Remove the white skin and trim the fat. Cut the tenderloin in four pieces of
about 4 to 6 ounces each. You can easily pound the pieces flat with the
smooth side of a meat tenderizer mallet to a depth of about 1/4 to 3/8
inches. The standard piece comes out at about 5 inches by 6-8 inches. They
should and will be bigger than standard sandwich bun. If you butterfly cut
the pieces you can pound out a traditional "hanger over" the bun tenderloin
of about 4 inches wide by 10 inches long.

Prepare a marinade with two eggs, a quart of buttermilk, about 1/4 cup
flour, a pinch of salt and pepper, fresh finely chopped garlic, and a
tablespoon of dry mustard. For added punch some Emeril's Original Essence
seasoning can be used. I like to throw a dash of it in. I have also tried
beer, milk and eggnog for marinades. They work but read on.

Here is the secret. Use the buttermilk and marinate the tenderloins
OVERNIGHT! This is the secret I learned from Nick's Kitchen. Emeril does it
as well when he deep fries. I am not an expert but it works. It transforms
the tenderloin into a super tasty and tender piece. If you don't have the
time some recipes say flour the tenderloin then dip in the batter just
before breading and that works OK, but take the extra overnight step. That
is what makes it superb and separates it from the average or even good
tenderloin. Pop a Leinie's Big Butt and relax.

For the breading you can use commercial bread crumbs, yellow corn meal,
saltine crackers or Japanese bread crumbs. Crushed or food processed
saltines give you a light and fluffy breading. I found Panko Japanese bread
crumbs to be slightly better. The Indianapolis 500 Brickyard Crossing
restaurant uses the Japanese bread crumbs. I like to blend in a little bit
of the yellow corn meal with the primary selected crumbs.

Take the tenderloin out of the marinade and let the excess drip off. Place
the tenderloin on top of a bed of breading, then fluff breading on top and
then press the tenderloin into the breading. Turn over and repeat to make
sure you have complete coverage.

Pre-heat a deep fat fryer to 360 degrees F. using canola oil. Canola oil is
one of the healthier oils and has no trans-fats. You need oil suitable for
the high heat and peanut oil is another choice for a great flavor but cost
considerably more. It takes almost a gallon for my fryer. You can pan fry by
turning in about a 1/4 inch of oil but I prefer the deep fryer for better
control. Fry the tenderloin for approximately 3 minutes or slightly more or
until golden brown. If fried right it should not be greasy or soggy.

You are now ready to prepare the sandwich. I prefer the bigger sandwich buns
over standard hamburger buns. Condiments can be sliced tomato, onion,
lettuce, mustard or mayo. I like a sandwich pickle slice mostly for a
punctuation decoration. All my attempts in the tutorial were good but the
third holiday attempt was better and the fourth with the buttermilk marinade
was the absolute best. You will rarely find this sandwich in a restaurant
beyond Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, and the periphery states that
geographically touch those three.

Enjoy!

"Drew Cutter" > wrote in message
...
>I was kind of bum today. I went to my favorite A And W root beer today for
>tenderloin. No longer make deep fried. Would love to get my hands on
>recipe. Thanks.
>