Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Where are the best of these to be found?? Also, if you can recommend a frozen custard shop in the same vicinity I'd be in heaven.

Pork chop John's in Butte, Montana. See the Roadfood review.

Try Burkie's Drive In in Muncie, Indiana, its been known for its pork tenderloin sandwiches since the 50's (or maybe earlier, I'm not that old).

There was another old thread on the same subject. Someone on it was reminiscing about the “loins” at the late John’s Awful Awful Drive In. John’s was only a few miles from Burkie’s and always more popular. But it is Burkie’s that is still in business. John’s was better known for its “ham-a-rama” sandwich, anyway.

I had a pretty good loin sandwich at the California state fair a few years ago. It was called an Iowa Pork Sandwich. But the owners admitted that they got the idea from living in Indiana, they just thought that Californians would identify pork more with Iowa than Indiana.

Phil B.

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

Where are the best of these to be found?? Also, if you can recommend a frozen custard shop in the same vicinity I'd be in heaven.

To answer your question, I suspect the best can be found in my kitchen but the location will remain a secret. Actually, what I make is my version of Tonkatsu--but you could call it pork snitzle or whatever else you want. They make breaded, fried pork cutlet in just about every country on earth where pork is eaten (so as to leave out Israel and Muslim countries 'cause I don't want to offend anybody).

I just get "thin cut" boneless loin pork chops from the supermarket (Safeway), dredge 'em in flour first, then egg and finally bread crumbs. Then I pan fry them in either butter or peanut oil (depending on whether I'm aiming for the Japanese version which uses peanut oil or not). I like the result on bread with tartar sauce, but for the Japanese version you use bottled Tonkatsu sauce (Kikkoman is one maker) which has soy, plums and other stuff in it. It's quite good.

Rayme & BT, I don't want to sound like an old grouch, BUT a pork tenderloin sandwich is NOT made with any variety of pork chops (especially not ground ones)! It is made with a pork tenderloin. I guess it is a Midwest thing (Indiana, Illinois, Iowa especially).

You buy the cut of meat called a pork tenderloin, slice it cross-grain in 1" to 2" thick slices and then pound it very thin. Then you bread it with flour, egg, cracker-crumbs or bread-crumbs like you would fried chicken and pan-fry in about an inch of oil (turning it over when the first side is beginning to brown) or deep fry it until crisp on the outside. We have several places around the Peoria area that brag about how large theirs are, and they can get to be the size of a dinner plate, which means that, even with an oversize bun, there is more outside of the bun than underneath it. It is normally topped with your choice of catsup, yellow mustard, dill pickle slices and onion slices, though I have known some people to use lettuce, tomato slices, and mayo on it.

Places reviewed on Roadfood.com serving tenderloins are: Cecils Cafe in Marshalltown, IA; Kirkwood Corner Coffee Shop in Des Moines, IA; Smitty's Tenderloin Shop in Des Moines, IA; Gnaw Bone Food and Fuel in Gnaw Bone, IN; Mr. Daves in North Manchester, IN; Mug & Bun Drive-In in Indianapolis, IN; and Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, IN.

A pork chop sandwich or a ground pork sandwich or a pork fritter sandwich (UGH) are all something else!

Hi! Hope you don't mind a new kid on the block (me), joining in on this topic. I'm from Indiana and pork tenderloin sandwiches are actually a part of our culture.

There are two different kinds of tenderloins, breaded and grilled. The breaded are very popular. There are restaurants closeby the have breaded tenderloins as big as dinner plates. An area meat market sells breaded tenderloin patties in the service meat case. I believe most Hoosiers will tell you that the best way to eat a tenderloin is on an oversized bun with mayo, lettuce, onion, pickle and a tomato slice is optional. Yellow mustard is almost mandatory (save the fancy mustard for bratwurst). When I make 'em, a couple of strips of bacon is tasty.

Deep frying is the only good way to cook a tenderlion. Being a purist, I deep fry in lard. Yes, they're heartbusters to be sure, and probably politically incorrect as well, but darned fine eating.

Practically and mom and pop restaurant in Indiana can fix you right up. Be sure it's a mom & pop places and never order a tenderloin from a chain restaurant.

Another good place to go for tenderloins is Dave's in North Manchester, IN. For several years running, his tenderloins were names the best in the U.S., as he cuts the meat himself fresh each day.

Joensy's in Solon Iowa

Any good places in Ft. Wayne?

NuWay Cafe in Wichita, Ks has some good pork tender sandwich. They put their homemade bbq sauce on it. Its the best with their homemade onino rings and homemade rootbeer :)

quote:

Originally posted by Ballpark Roadtripper

I had the fried pork tenderloin at the Mug N Bun in Indy, and I found it to be dry and tasteless.

Their root beer and onion rings were outstanding.

I agree. I had a tenderloin from Mug N Bun about 6 months ago and it was like the the things I use to find outside the midwest; bland, dry, cardboard-like consistancy. Something has changed because I use to order their tenderloins all the time several years ago and they were some of the best in Indy. I will probably give them another chance though since its possible we just hit them on an off night.

Most tenderloins walk a fine line between "truly delicious" and "pig jerky." Unless you're at one of the places that uses processed, shaped-and-formed pork patties, expect the occasional dud.

My favorite tenderloins are both in Iowa: the Ja-Mar Drive In in Fort Dodge and Oscar's in Hiawatha. Never got a "pork-flavored chew-toy" at either one.

quote:

Originally posted by 6star

Rayme & BT, I don't want to sound like an old grouch, BUT a pork tenderloin sandwich is NOT made with any variety of pork chops (especially not ground ones)! It is made with a pork tenderloin. I guess it is a Midwest thing (Indiana, Illinois, Iowa especially).

You buy the cut of meat called a pork tenderloin, slice it cross-grain in 1" to 2" thick slices and then pound it very thin. Then you bread it with flour, egg, cracker-crumbs or bread-crumbs like you would fried chicken and pan-fry in about an inch of oil (turning it over when the first side is beginning to brown) or deep fry it until crisp on the outside. We have several places around the Peoria area that brag about how large theirs are, and they can get to be the size of a dinner plate, which means that, even with an oversize bun, there is more outside of the bun than underneath it. It is normally topped with your choice of catsup, yellow mustard, dill pickle slices and onion slices, though I have known some people to use lettuce, tomato slices, and mayo on it.

Places reviewed on Roadfood.com serving tenderloins are: Cecils Cafe in Marshalltown, IA; Kirkwood Corner Coffee Shop in Des Moines, IA; Smitty's Tenderloin Shop in Des Moines, IA; Gnaw Bone Food and Fuel in Gnaw Bone, IN; Mr. Daves in North Manchester, IN; Mug & Bun Drive-In in Indianapolis, IN; and Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, IN.

A pork chop sandwich or a ground pork sandwich or a pork fritter sandwich (UGH) are all something else!

Well there are two kinds of pork loin. There's pork tenderloin which is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and maybe 12 inches long and is a darkish meat (it's actually the psoas muscle of the pig for any anatomists out there). Then there's pork loin roast--from which loin chops are cut which is much larger (maybe 5 or 6 inches diameter and 15 inches long) and white meat. So loin pork chops are pork loin--same cut--but they are NOT tenderloin. However, given the size of the tenderloin, no matter how flat/thin you smash it, I see no way you can come out with something the size of the piece of meat on most of the loin sandwiches I've seen--and what I've seen is a white meat, not the darkish tenderloin. So I think they are using slices of the cut known as a loin roast--which is what the boneless loin chops that I use are. And the way I prepare then, as I said, is pretty much what you describe except that I usually do not bother pounding them--they are melt-in-your-mouth tender without it. One could certainly do the same thing with tenderloin, but if you tried to smash it to, as you say, the size of a dinner plate, I think you'd come out with a mangled pulpy mess.

I concurr with Tristan and the Ballpark Roadtripper, the tenderloin sandwich at Mug n Bun was nothing special, at least when I went there back in May of 2003.

I love seeing the GnawBone Indiana Tenderloin on the 'Hit of the Day' That place is outstanding in my book. Put it at the top of my list!

made a special trip to Jonseys last fall because we heard the tenderloins were good.........they weren"t........don't waste your time...

Dearfolk,
The best one I can ever remember having was one I ate in a small, unpretentious cafe in Oquawka, Illinois - a block uphill from the Mississippi River and a block downhill from the county courthouse (and the on-the-lawn grave of an elephant that was struck by lightning when the circus was in town in some time like 1902!). It ran clear out off the edges of the bun and practically melted in my mouth. (This was the fried and breaded variety, by the way.)
Another excellent one was to be had in Monmouth, Illinois at a place that only had a sign that read "HOME OF WYATT EARP" - no name, no nothing. That one was thinner and immense in its plainlike flatness. Y'all Sterns wrote about that in a previous book: "Must be seen to be believed," I gushed.
Around here, pork tenderloin is served breaded and fried for breakfast, not in sandwiches for lunch. Goodness. What we're missing. Most of us Georgians don't know a good pea salad from Uncle Waldo, either. Reckon we lose out twic't, don't we?
Wishfully Crunchingly, Ort. Carlton in Lovely Athens, Georgia.

Yeah, us Suthnas don't know what we're missing. We had or have, not sure if it closed or not, a restaurant (Northern Exposure) in Knoxville, TN specializing in food from the Midwest & up north. No tenderloins, though. How real can that be?

carl reitz

Ort, thanks for that post. I had a friend who picked up a piece of that elephant's dung in 1974. Oops, sorry, folks! Both these places are on my route next week.

For that matter, the Keokuk, IA Chamber of Commerce website says "the biggest pork tenderloin sandwich of all" is in Keokuk, but when I emailed them to ask WHERE there was no response. Cranky chamber of commerce!

Well, usually I avoid chain and fast-food restaurants, but if you'd like to try a pork tenderloin and frozen custard at the same place, there is a Wisconsin chain called Culver's which has recently expanded to Illinois and maybe other places, for all I know. They have good pork tenderloins and acceptable custard. I'd also recommend a lemon ice with fruit while there.

But what about the elephant? I want to know about the elephant! If it's dung lasted for 72 years it must have been quite a beast!

"Deep frying is the only good way to cook a tenderlion. Being a purist, I deep fry in lard. Yes, they're heartbusters to be sure, and probably politically incorrect as well, but darned fine eating."


I agree with the deep frying bit, but lard?! I use canola oil, zero cholesterol. Is there really a taste difference?

Tom, in Boise

I had something that was different Monday at Fatz Cafe in Florence, SC. It was a breaded pork cutlet fried and served over red skinned mashed potatoes with cream gravy over top of it. It was served with a bowl of coleslaw and poppy seed rolls with honey butter. This was very good. The port cutlet was almost fork tender and the gravy had a great flavor.

Have the Stern's reviewed any tenderloin establishments?

Hey, folks. The way that you would create a cutlet 'the size of a dinnerplate' is to cut perhaps a 2" - 2.5" slice of pork loin (by the way, B.T. is correct -- these could only be loin and not tenderloin). Once cut, simply butterfly the piece by slicing down the middle of the fillet, stopping about 1/2 - 3/4 inch from the bottom. Then open the fillet, splaying it into a flat mass and pound with a mallet until a reasonable thickness (maybe 3/16" - 1/4"). You control the eventual overall diameter by choosing how many inches to cut from the loin. I've read a lot about these pork sammies and look forward to trying one when I'm in the Midwest.

This is my first entry to the site and as an L.A. - based foodie, culinary grad and ex-restaurant critic, I look forward to sharing whatever knowledge and enthusiasm I have with you all.

Culinarily yours,

-- JPL

Welcome, JP. If you like to eat, you're welcome here. We're an easy goin' bunch. Just watch what you put ketchup on and salt in.
Bill

The best tenderloin sandwich I've had, bar none, was at the late, great Elam's in Decatur, Ill., on the main east-west drag of Eldorado. This was a drive-up place with intercoms to order the food (before Sonic started doing it) and made its own root beer.

Elam's closed not because of lack of business; indeed, the place always was packed in the summertime with families and custom-car cruisers. It's just that the owner had children, and none of them wanted to take over the business when he got old. It closed in late 1980s -- much to the regret of many central Illinoisans.

JPL, I always find it interesting when someone decides to join this site and post. I would not have expected an LA food critic to post about tenderloins, but I am glad you did and hope you will continue. And thanks for your tenderloin expertise. I grew up with them, but they are not available in the south so I have to make my own.

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

Have the Stern's reviewed any tenderloin establishments?

Yep.

Here's a few (not all) of them
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=1392
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=652
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=1321

TJ, thanks for the info and the links. Are there any tenderloin places in the Cicy ara that you know of?

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

TJ, thanks for the info and the links. Are there any tenderloin places in the Cicy ara that you know of?

I would think cincy is a little too far south of the Tenderloin Belt which from my understanding is between I-70-1-80 between indiana and Nebraska.

Too far east, I'd say, but.....

Indianapolis aint all that far away.....and some of them are there.

Also, here's a few in Ohio that seem to have good tenderloins
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=517
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=603
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=521&RefID=521

Muzzie Feroni's Freeway Cafe in Butte MT! Blows Johns away! Plus they have beer. Nothing like a "Wop Chop" (Muzzies term for the pork chop sandie) and a bottled Miller Highlife to make your day.

quote:

Originally posted by Macdaddy

Muzzie Feroni's Freeway Cafe in Butte MT! Blows Johns away! Plus they have beer. Nothing like a "Wop Chop" (Muzzies term for the pork chop sandie) and a bottled Miller Highlife to make your day.

I believe the "butte pork chop" is a little different from the Midwestern Tenderloin. I'm not sure of the specific difference, but they are different, I'm sure some one else could explain the difference.

I like that Tenderloin belt term, WJ. That just about gets it right, especially if you soft focus the edges.

Thanks, TJ for the links. My mouth waters just looking at those pictures. I have had a tenderloin at Symmes Tavern in Fairfield. Not the best, but good enough and I get it everytime I go there.

Hey all, im new here but had to make a post on this subject. I live in Anderson IN which is just about a half hour north of Indy. I wa sborn in a small town called Fairmount just north of Anderson. Its also the hometown of James Dean. There is a bar in that town aptly named The Giant. Im quite the tenderloin conoseur and they have the best ive ever had. If you get a chance stop in sometime and pick one up, they are cheap and way more than you cna eat in one sitting. Another good time to stop in is the last weekend of September. Its the annual James Dean Festival, lots of classic cars and a great small town fair atmosphere.

As for the ones I make, i agree you have to use pork tenderloin and make it as think as possible. I actually like a beer batter on mine, and deep fry it till its golden brown. Doesnt get much better than that!

Having grown up in Iowa myself, there are tons of good places to get tenderloins... some of the best I have had though, were in Missouri. Check out a bar in St Joseph, Missouri called "Bottoms Up". They have an Entire menu on differant types of tenderloins.

I personally reccomend the momma Ester... Buttermilk soak, flour breading.

BTW, St Joseph is just north of Kansas City on I-29 (about 1 hour south of Council Bluffs/Omaha), and intersects with Highway 36.

For my preferance, I always get the Lettuce/Onion/Tomato/Pickle on mine, with Thousand Island Dressing.

I grew up outside of Boston where there is no such thing as a pork tenderloin sandwich. The first one I ever had was at Nick's Kitchen in Huntington, IN. I LOVED IT. It is still one of the best I've ever had. I was actually surprised with the one I had at the Aristocrat in Indianapolis. It almost tasted healthy it was so fresh.

Southeast Alabama Pork Tenderloin Sandwich :
Hot split cathead biscuit,milk gravy,and piece of fried pork tenderloin...Heaven!

In Des Moines, Iowa I would have to say the best breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is at B&B Grocery. I love them. The sandwiches at B&B are called Killer Sandwiches. They have a pretty cool menu...Killer this and Killer that. In fact, I think you can hit their menu at killerdeli.com. I just double checked at that is the correct address. Pretty unique for a neighborhood grocery store.

Not traditional but I like them with Heinz 57 on them. Anyone else tried it that way?

No. Mustard, ketchup, and a mess of hamburger pickles is how we grew up eating these. Dipping the side in more ketchup.

On a pork tenderloin sandwich it is usually mustard or mayo as the consensus choice. Seldom ketchup. In saying that I had a tenderloin today with BBQ sauce that was standard with the offering.

Lettuce, Tomato and Mayo

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

On a pork tenderloin sandwich it is usually mustard or mayo as the consensus choice. Seldom ketchup. In saying that I had a tenderloin today with BBQ sauce that was standard with the offering.

How about parm. style...I've made pork cutlets parm style and they were delicious!!!!

Here is a link to an interesting sight for PT lovers. Lots of pics, links and even a You Tube tutorial on PT sandwiches.

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

BR


Here is a link to an interesting sight for PT lovers. Lots of pics, links and even a You Tube tutorial on PT sandwiches.

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

OK. Now I think we're in an alternate reality

bill voss

BR


Here is a link to an interesting sight for PT lovers. Lots of pics, links and even a You Tube tutorial on PT sandwiches.

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

OK. Now I think we're in an alternate reality

Yep.

DO DO DO DO
DO DO DO DO
DO DO DO DO

(imagine the Twilight zone theme)

DSMHorse

In Des Moines, Iowa I would have to say the best breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is at B&B Grocery.

Amy & I visited B&B last August for a BPT.  It was delicious but not my favorite of the ones we tried.  Its breading was thick and "smooth" after frying, and personally I prefer the thin and "bumpy" textures more.  I loved the personality of B&B, though; the counter guys were joking with us the whole time and gave us samples of new products they were testing out.  I can't wait to return there!    Chris

ayersian

Amy & I visited B&B last August for a BPT.  It was delicious but not my favorite of the ones we tried.  Its breading was thick and "smooth" after frying, and personally I prefer the thin and "bumpy" textures more.  I loved the personality of B&B, though; the counter guys were joking with us the whole time and gave us samples of new products they were testing out.  I can't wait to return there!    Chris

The guys at B&B are great.  An article just came out today in the Des Moines Juice about them.  It's that ma & pa feeling that I love.
 
B&B was named one of the manliest places for dudes to eat.  Here's a link....
 
http://desmoines.metromix.com/restaurants/article/dinners-for-dudes/903470/content
 
 

BR:

Davydd here is the owner of that BPT web site. 

I have eaten several great tenderloin sandwiches in Indy, but last night I hit the jackpot!!
 
We ate at Pat Flynn's Pub at 52nd & Allisonville Rd in Indianapolis.  I had the breaded tenderloin:
 
great egg bun, soft but held together with the tenderloin & all the fixings
 
the tenderloin was about twice the size of the bun, not too thick or too thin, just right, and boy was it "tender", the flouring was crispy & stayed on the meat, obviously they had prepared it properly-flour, egg, & then crumbs.
 
Two others in our group had outstanding hamburgers- my husband had a cheddar & mushroom,freshly sauteed mushroons & mounds of melted shredded cheddar.
 
We shared a basket of beer battered onion rings, just the right amount of batter, crisp & large rings.  I also had a side of great cole slaw.
 
We definetely will be back.  The restaurant has a small bar area & then 2 large rooms with multiple TV's,pool tables,etc.  There were a lot of families- at the table next to us there were 4 generations-baby,mom & dad, grandma & grandpa, great-grandma.