Iowa Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

👨‍🍳How to make breaded tenderloin sandwiches

1. Trim a pork tenderloin and cut it into quarters. Butterfly those sections and flatten them to ¼ inch with a meat mallet or heavy pan.
2. Set up two shallow pans, first with milk and egg and second with flour, bread crumbs, and seasoning.
3. Dry the tenderloin filets with paper towels. Dip in the first pan, shake off excess, dip in the second pan, and shank off excess. Set on a flat surface while oil gets to temperature.
4. Heat ¼ inch of oil in a large pan over medium heat to 350°to 375°.
5. Fry the breaded pork tenderloin until golden brown and keep warm on a baking tray in a 200° preheated oven while frying more batches of tenderloins.
6. Serve hot on a bun with toppings.

This is a summary of the steps and ingredients. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for complete instructions.

How to serve pork tenderloin sandwiches

First, a note about flavor—these sandwiches are a bit bland, so spice it up if you want. Something like cumin mayo would be a great topping.

Serve on a bun with a side of some type of potatoes, like French fries, scalloped potatoes, or roasted baby potatoes. Add a hot vegetable like corn on the cob, green beans, or baked beans.

♨️Stovetop frying tips

This is a stovetop frying recipe, so shallowly frying using oil in a frying pan. You can use a countertop deep-fryer if you have one.

• Start with a large frying pan—I use a 12-inch cast-iron pan. Other pans may be used, but heavy pans will hold their heat better.
• The oil should be a neutral oil, like corn or canola.
• The oil temperature must be monitored and kept between 350° and 375°. Start at the high end of the range since the temperature will drop when the tenderloins are added. Turn up the heat when adding the tenderloin.
• If the oil gets colder than 325°, the coating will absorb more oil. But too hot oil will burn. I recommend 350° to 375° as your goal, but 325° to 375° is OK.

How to store and reheat

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for 3 months.

To reheat, use the oven at 400° for about 10-15 minutes. Or in an air fryer.

❓FAQs

About Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

For you non-Iowans, this is a small-town classic. Many small towns in Iowa, Indiana, and other states have restaurants that will claim to have the best, most award-winning, or the biggest tenderloin sandwich.

You don't need to say pork; it is understood as "a tenderloin sandwich." The pork producers have a yearly contest to pick the best restaurant version. There are websites dedicated to this much-celebrated delicacy.

The Des Moines Register has a yearly roundup of the best tenderloin sandwiches in the state. It is a much-coveted award that will be talked about for decades. It has been, it is, and always will be a much-loved Iowa tradition.

I hear Indiana has the same passionate love for the tenderloin sandwich, which is embedded in their Hooser's hearts. In the interest of Midwest comradeship, they may use my recipe.

Be sure you have pork tenderloin and not pork loin.

Trim pork tenderloin of any fat and silverskin. Cut into four equal-sized pieces of about equal weight. Next, "butterfly" the pieces. Do this by cutting ¾ of the way through and folding it back to double the size.

Cover each piece individually with plastic wrap or put it in a ziplock bag and pound it to ¼ inch thick.

Set up two pans. In the first, combine 1 egg and ½ cup milk—whip well. In the second pan, 1 cup of AP flour, ½ cup of bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon each of pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Dry the meat with paper towels and coat the meat with egg wash. Shake to remove excess. Coat well in the flour mixture and shake off excess. Let them rest for about 5 minutes on a flat surface before cooking.

Heat ¼ inch of oil in a large pan over medium heat to 350°to 375°. A heavy pan will hold the heat better. You need to check the temperature frequently, and a good instant-read thermometer is great here. Preheat the oven and a tray to 200° to keep batches warm while you do additional pieces.

Place breaded pork tenderloin into the hot oil, but do not "crowd the pan." Fry for 3-4 minutes per side. About a minute into each side, shake the pan a little to move the meat a little, keeping it from sticking and helping it be crispy. The edge of the breading starts to brown is the meat is saying, "Turn me now."

Cook until golden brown and internal temp of 145° plus. You will need to adjust the burner heat to keep the oil in the 350° to 375° range. You will not be able to keep it perfect, but be aware you need to turn up the heat. Between batches, you should turn the heat down to keep it from overheating.

Transfer the completed tenderloin to the heated oven and pan to keep them warm for serving. Continue to cook your batches of tenderloins.

Serve on a bun with mayo, a pickle, and other toppings of your choice.