Pork Tenderloins

Just had another of these babies yesterday at Coachmens (Plainfield, IN).  Good.  Good.  Good.   See above post for pic of this delectable sandwich.  No "to-go" box was needed or used.

Wow...REALLY old thread here, boy.

Tenderloin.  A tenderloin that's so big it sticks out the side so far you can't even grab the bun?  That's no tenderloin my friend.  Rather, it's a back loin.  There's a BIG difference between a back loin and a tenderloin.

I actually saw this on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives just yesterday.  Some know-nothing was slicing, pounding, and grilling a pork "tenderloin" to make a sandwich.  It was a back loin not a tenderloin.  The thing was sitting right there on the counter for all to see.  I guess folks have a misunderstanding about what tenderloin actually is. 

The back loin starts out as a piece of meat that's generally 3"-5" across.  You can pound that thing out to a size that will dwarf the bun you serve it on.  A tenderloin on the other hand starts out as a piece of meat that has a cross section of only 1"-3" (about 3" MAXIMUM)...they tend to be about 2" on the big end.  Most tenderloins I know are served in a biscuit not a bun, and you don't normally see them pounded out.  Pounding is done for tenderness...a "tender"loin doesn't need added tenderness...a back loin benefits from the pounding.

Seriously...how would you feel going to a restaurant and ordering a fillet mignon only to receive a ribeye from the kitchen.  That's the same thing these people are doing with the pork...calling back loin by the term tenderloin.

JayL,

If you had read this thread you would know most everyone participating in this thread know the difference and that most restaurants do use the pork loin cut to make those larger than bun "tenderloins" and still have some thickness. The "tender"loin definition comes from the tenderizing of the meat. When done, there is very little difference in taste between the tenderloin cut and the pork loin cut that you call the back loin. The tenderloin cut also comes from the back as does the pork chop cut.

At home and in my tutorial I prefer the tenderloin cut and I butterfly cut them to make them larger than bun size. The tenderloin cost considerably more than the pork loin but the size is more conducive to home consumption. I have done side by side comparison with same prep and breading and would defy anyone figuring out the difference between a pork loin and a tenderloin after breaded and deep-fried.

BTW, Ayersian is doing a 12 day series of Iowa pork tenderloin sandwiches in the Roadfood Digest. Ayersian came up to the Twin Cities last weekend to also explore Jucy Lucy hamburgers and brought me this Dunlap, Iowa Dairy Sweet tenderloin. I took it home and re-heated it for lunch.



Day 5 at the Dairy Sweet is reported on here...

http://www.roadfooddigest.com/post/2009/03/The-12-Days-of-Iowa-BPTs2c-Day-5.aspx

Trust me - Davydd knows pork tenderloin sandwiches. If you are going to differ with him you better have your stuff together.

I trust you John A.  But who was differing with him?  He made his statement the same as I did.  These people can call a pounded loin all they want...still doesn't make it tenderloin.  I think I have my stuff together.  It's just pork for crying out loud.  Any fool can cook it.  Case in point......>>>>> me.

Ashphalt - Good point. 

Fire - You can easily make one yourself in the time it takes you to find one in Broward.  I lived in So Fla for many years and never saw a pork tenderloin sandwich like the ones shown on this site from those lucky enough to have had one in Indiana.

I seriously would go to Publix where they sell thinly sliced rib chops. Remove the bone and pound them out very thin.  Add your seasonings. dust them with flour, dip them in egg and then in fresh breadcrumbs or the store brought kind (they yield completely different textures!) and pan fry them in vegetable oil.

If you look at the photos and you see a smooth bread coating, they are using the conventional dry grated bread crumbs like a Progresso sells.  I'm suggesting you use fresh bread crumbs to get a far better exterior.  

Get yourself a large burger bun, some iceberg lettuce, some mayo and you're going to be happy.  Personally, I think the pork loin meat is far tastier and richer than the tenedloin....

Take your dining dollars and spoend them at Jack's Famous for a great FLORIDA burger! 

JayL


Wow...REALLY old thread here, boy.

Tenderloin.  A tenderloin that's so big it sticks out the side so far you can't even grab the bun?  That's no tenderloin my friend.  Rather, it's a back loin.  There's a BIG difference between a back loin and a tenderloin.

I actually saw this on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives just yesterday.  Some know-nothing was slicing, pounding, and grilling a pork "tenderloin" to make a sandwich.  It was a back loin not a tenderloin.  The thing was sitting right there on the counter for all to see.  I guess folks have a misunderstanding about what tenderloin actually is. 

The back loin starts out as a piece of meat that's generally 3"-5" across.  You can pound that thing out to a size that will dwarf the bun you serve it on.  A tenderloin on the other hand starts out as a piece of meat that has a cross section of only 1"-3" (about 3" MAXIMUM)...they tend to be about 2" on the big end.  Most tenderloins I know are served in a biscuit not a bun, and you don't normally see them pounded out.  Pounding is done for tenderness...a "tender"loin doesn't need added tenderness...a back loin benefits from the pounding.

Seriously...how would you feel going to a restaurant and ordering a fillet mignon only to receive a ribeye from the kitchen.  That's the same thing these people are doing with the pork...calling back loin by the term tenderloin.

 
I'm no BPT expert by any stretch of the imagination and have only tried to make BPT's 3-4 times at home (Using Tenderloins) and have only eaten one non-homemade one at the Des Moines Airport, but what you describe here makes a whole lot of sense to me along with Davydd's most recent post. A good Rider on a Fast Horse couldn't tell the difference except for the size and watching exactly how they're being made and what cut of pork is being used!
As Letterman says, "Know Your Cuts Of Meat"

To get those huge "tenderloin" sandwiches in Indiana they have to be using the whole boneless loin.  I see Davydd's comments.    

I believe Snappy Lunch in Mt Airy also uses a pounded out boneless whole pork loin, too.   

When I get a center cut pork chop, it has a little piece of the tenderloin with it.  The texture of the meat is completely different.  I personally don't care for it and that's why I always order the rib loin pork chops. 
 
Hey, I enjoy my version..What can I tell you.  I would like to try it with a batter vs bread crumbs though. 

We generally don't fry with bread crumbs.  We fry with flour. 

You can get a good size pork tenderloin sandwich with the pork tenderloin cut. I've made them several times as described in my tutorial here...

http://web.mac.com/davydd/Site/BPT_Tutorial.html

Proof positive...



There are variations in breading and batter. One of the most popular is simply using crushed saltines with flour, milk and egg. The corn meal and progresso bread crumbs to me are the least satisfying. Panko bread crumbs are the most satisfying for me. In Northeast Minneapolis a flour and egg batter without crumbs is the preferred way.

I don't know what you can find in South Carolina and Florida restaurants but I have found pork tenderloins in 11 states so far that I have personally sampled and the Midwest beltway of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa rules. Those three states take them seriously and up the ante in competition.

DD - I made mine with panko and it was terrific!  I agree. 

These Indy Tenderloins....There seems to be variations of this all over the place.  Flour..batters,

I love to panko and pan fry anything...

Davydd


You can get a good size pork tenderloin sandwich with the pork tenderloin cut. I've made them several times as described in my tutorial here...

http://web.mac.com/davydd/Site/BPT_Tutorial.html

Proof positive...



There are variations in breading and batter. One of the most popular is simply using crushed saltines with flour, milk and egg. The corn meal and progresso bread crumbs to me are the least satisfying. Panko bread crumbs are the most satisfying for me. In Northeast Minneapolis a flour and egg batter without crumbs is the preferred way.

I don't know what you can find in South Carolina and Florida restaurants but I have found pork tenderloins in 11 states so far that I have personally sampled and the Midwest beltway of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa rules. Those three states take them seriously and up the ante in competition.

Dang it Davydd, that looks good enough to eat.

Jethro's in Des Moines, IA has a very nice BPL sandwich.  Not sure what specific cut of meat it is, but it  is not huge like some, just large.

In any case, it is good stuff and worth a try.

Tons of them around in the smaller towns that are supposed to be amazing, as well.  I recall one in Van Meter (West of Des Moines on I-80) and one in Jamaica (NW of Des Moines) that are supposed to be phenominal.

Looks like Jethro's is new; I don't recall seeing it when I was there a year ago.  So now there's Delancey's on the south side of campus and Jethro's on the north...students today have it so much better than I did!
 
It'll probably be quite busy when I'm there in 3-1/2 weeks but I'll try to make a stop.
 
Brad

Yes, Jethro's opened its doors about a year ago.  It is just East of the "Dick Pharmacy" on Forest.  If you know the area, you know where that is.  Nice little spot, it focuses on smoked meat and bar-b-que, but has some other really nice food.

The wings, for one, are the best in town in my opinion.  Big, tasty and smoked as well as flavored.

The ribs are pretty nice, too.

It is a sports bar sort of place, great for a game.

Try to stop by, it is a nice addition to the area.

Also, new in the Drake area, is Frank's pizza, which is very good simple pie.

Also worth a visit. Frank's Pizza

Delancey's closed last year, the owners only operate the Eastside location now.

Regular tenderloin from Jethro's is $8.95:

The Jethro, piled with four more kinds of pork for $14.95:

Jethro's is operated by the owners of a fancy seafood restaurant downtown ($49 surf & turf anyone?).  The Jethro was a joke, the waitress asked if I needed a box after I was just halfway done. I ate both tenderloins easily.

I have pics of Tojo's in Jamaica and Fat Randi's of Van Meter on my flickr page.

Nice...you have a link to the pictures? 

Oh, how about the Emmenecker (spelling)?

It is one of those stupid sandwiches.  Two returning soldiers this winter ordered the Jethro and the Emmenecker, I warned them but they had been home for about 2 days and they said they wanted a big-assed American sandwich that was bad for them.  :) 

They succeeded in their mission.

Bought them a round of shots to wash the 1/2 and 1/4 of the sandwiches down that they finished.  It was good fun.

Hi all, new guy here. Brought here by my love for the Tenderloin,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. No sammich comes close. Now, I have not read every post in this thread, so I am not sure if the Hoosier Drive In here in Huntington has been mentioned as another fine creator of the 'Loin. Of course, Nicks is the best, without a doubt, the Hoosier is a damn fine sandwich in its own right. Unfortunately, the Hoosier Drive In has recently been gutted by fire. On the bright side, driving by it looks as tho they are in the process of redoing and repairing so hopefully they will be up and runing by summer. Nicest part of living here in the home town of the Tenderloin, we have at least a half dozen places to get REAL Tenderloins, not fritters, and every one is just downright mmmmmmmmmm tasty.
John

Had a really tasty BPT last week at Binkley's Kitchen and Bar, on College Ave., just south of Broad Ripple, in Indy.  The kettle fries were excellent as well.  Highly recommended.
 

Wow, that looks good! I'd go for the chips alone but love the BPT! Just a little mayo for me please.

I'm getting ready to go on an extensive tour for the rest of April and most of May and will probably drive about 10,000 miles covering over 18-20 states from Maryland in the east to Texas in the southwest. I did a little warmup today and drove 24 miles on way for lunch to the Ideal Diner in northeast Minneapolis for a pork tenderloin sandwich.

The Ideal Diner is a tiny place with a counter and 14 stools in a row nestled in an industrial and blue collar area. Customers appeared to be locals of seemingly retirement age and construction workers on the go evidenced by the vehicles parked outside. The place is only open for breakfast and lunch and is closed on Mondays. They have daily specials on the menu along with standard diner fare. They emphasize their pork tenderloin sandwich that they call the Porker. The Porker is typical of the Nordeast style in that it is battered rather than breaded and served with toast instead of a bun. They serve quality pork and do not try to overwhelm you with size. The one I had was one of the tenderist I've tasted. It reminded of the Suzie-Q in Mason City, IA.

This is the Ideal Diner at 1314 Central Avenue NE in Minneapolis, MN.


You are greeted with this sign outside...


Inside it is one long pink counter with a grill behind...


...and here is the Porker...

We are now on an extended RV trip and we are currently in Louisiana. Believe it or not I do have my eye on a tenderloin here in Louisiana. So far, though, just this one on the 15th.

It was magic! Our first stop was at the Suzie-Q Cafe in Mason City, IA. We got there a little after 1:00 PM and everyone was waiting for our pre-announced stop. How often do you stop at a 10 stool diner (I counted them) and get a magic show of card tricks and disappearing sugar from the Great Levey, Troy Levenhagen, the owner. He also conjured up a great tenderloin. I tried his newest creation, the Spic-N-Span Melt consisting of a deep-fried tenderloin served with melted cheese, grilled fresh onions combined with reconstituted onions on buttered toast. It was a cozy, friendly place and fun to banter with complete strangers. I also took a picture of another patron's regular battered tenderloin  on a bun. Nancy had the BLT hoping to eat a little lighter while suffering through a head cold. We also sampled, without bun, their grilled tenderloin and one of their newest creations, the "Cow Pie", a battered and deep-fried Oreo cookie coated with powdered sugar and caramel sauce. We would like to have sampled some other stuff. Another patron ordered a Ribeye burger while we were there. It was a combination Ribeye steak and hamburger. So much food, so little stomach. :(

While we were there a KIMT TV video crew rushed over and interviewed me at the diner. I doubt I made the news cut being not so photogenic, tongue-tied and admitting I was originally from Indiana. ;) There was a Tea Party protest just a block away and when I checked their web site that was the video news.

The Suzie-Q Cafe is worth a stop. It is unique in its size and being a Valentine prefabricated diner built in the 40s and transported to the site from Wichita, Kansas. It first opened in 1948. Here is a diner history...

http://www.kshs.org/diners/history.htm

First stop of our trip - the Suzie-Q Cafe in Mason City, Iowa


The Suzie-Q is a 10 stool Valentin Diner. Here's looking from the entrance.


Here is standing in the corner and looking back toward the grill and kitchen


Troy Levenhagen, Owner and the Great Levy preparing a Spic-N-Span tenderloin


Our cook and waitress sporting the "Rated #2 in the Nation" tee shirt.


This is the Spic-N-Span deep-fried pork tenderloin sandwich


This is the new Spic-N-Span Melt, a tenderloin with cheese, reconstituted onions and grilled onions on toast


This is a sample tasting of the grilled tenderloin without the Spic-N-Span


The Suzie-Q Cafe BLT


The rest of the menu


The new items included a Ribeye burger


Finally for dessert, the "Cow Pie", a battered and deep-fried Oreo cookie with powdered sugar and caramel sauce

Let's hope Wanderingjew doesn't look closely at Wednesday's lunch specials at the Ideal Diner.  We'll never hear the end of it!

Prejean's in Lafayette, LA serves a Cajun seasoned breaded pork tenderloin sandwich on a po-boy fresh baked French bun along with a fried onion loaf and remoulade dip. Excellent!

That Louisiana remoulade sure looks like a better onion ring dip than the common ranch dressing!
 
The sandwich looks good, too.  Good husky-looking roll.

We completed a two week 3,162 mile trip to Louisiana and back Tuesday. Our final breaded pork tenderloin sandwich was in southwest Missouri in Collins. It was Smith's Restaurant at the intersection of highways 13 and 54.

DDD,
What's that blue plastic bag in the picture?????

Miracle whip

makes them slide down easier

Davydd

You can cross off
Dwyer's B*K Root Beer Stand in Silver Lake, IN

The BPT is premade and bland

Root Beer is not too bad, but the BPT is not worth