I first had this sandwich in Peoria, Illinois, during my college years. I’ve never been more excited to eat a sandwich that was 97 percent crispy fried pork and 3 percent bun. This is a classic regional sandwich throughout the Midwest, especially in Indiana. Of course, I added a fun and creamy sauce to jazz it up.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 sandwiches |
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins, silver skin removed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, whisked
- 3 cups butter crackers (like Ritz), pulverized into crumbs
- 4 cups peanut oil
- 4 large brioche buns, buttered and toasted
- Pickled Red Onions, recipe follows
- 8 bibb lettuce leaves
- 8 tomato slices
- Apricot-Mustard Spread, recipe follows
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1 tablespoon apricot preserves
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Instructions
- Cut each tenderloin in half right in the center, top to bottom. Then, butterfly by cutting across the equator, BUT NOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Using a meat mallet, pound until 1/8 inch thick and each piece is 8 to 10 inches wide. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pork to a large bowl or baking dish and cover with the buttermilk. Brine for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Using a three-stage FEB breading station, place the flour in one shallow container, whisked eggs in another, and cracker crumbs in another. Season all dishes with salt and pepper.
- Let excess buttermilk drain off the pork. One at a time, dip the cutlets first in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip in the eggs and let excess drip off, then dredge in the dish of cracker crumbs and press until total coverage is achieved. Place on a sheet tray while you heat up the oil.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat to about 350 degrees F. Working with one cutlet at a time, fry until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Let drain on paper towel-lined sheet pans. Hold in the oven to keep warm.
- For the sandwich build: Place a giant fried tenderloin piece on a bottom bun, then top with some pickled onions, lettuce and tomato. Schmear the top bun with apricot-mustard spread and close up the sandwich. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more sandwiches.
- Mix the mayo, mustard, horseradish, apricot preserves and garlic until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
- Simmer the vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan, stirring, until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the onion and let sit overnight.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 34 servings |
| Calories | 381 |
| Total Fat | 34 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 44 mg |
| Sodium | 255 mg |
Reviews
We loved everything about this recipe in our house. So delicious.
Illinois loves their pork tenderloin sandwiches and I love the sauce you added!
Made it as an entree instead of a sandwich with side of spaetzle and a salad with Dijon vinaigrette and topped with the pickled onions. It was sooo good. My family wants it in the regular rotation. The buttermilk made the pork so much more tender. I’ll probably even beat it a little thinner next time.
OMG!!! I have worked restaurants & bars over the years and have tried to get my NY chefs to try this! We used to go to Harry C’s in Greenwood IN (in the ’80’s) every Friday for THIS sandwich, served on egg rolls (not Chinese). The absolute best! Thanks Jeff for enlightening the rest of the world on this succulent but oh so bad for us sandwich. I make these but not often, never match Harry C’s sadly. Thanks again.
Yes, the size of his pork sandwich was outrageous but the beside that this recipe is actually phenomenal. Yes Miss Hoosier, you have your recipe, but this is an elevated recipe from your saltines and pork loin.
I invited all my adult kids and my littles to come for dinner tonight. Every single plate was wiped clean and everyone was begging to take the leftovers home. Then they started fighting about the extra sandwich sauce. Oh my… I made another batch of sauce and sent them all home. Thank you the best dinner my kids were fight over since I made chicken and dumplings in November
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I invited all my adult kids and my littles to come for dinner tonight. Every single plate was wiped clean and everyone was begging to take the leftovers home. Then they started fighting about the extra sandwich sauce. Oh my… I made another batch of sauce and sent them all home. Thank you the best dinner my kids were fight over since I made chicken and dumplings in November
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Made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! Followed recipe, well halved it since it was only for two. Sauce adds to the deliciousness! I spread sauce on both buns, but should’ve just on one because it got a bit messy, husband had sauce on side and would spread a bit as he took a bite and that helped not have it too messy.
Definitely will make again!
Excellent! Very tender and the sauce was wonderful. Going to make the sauce again to use as a salad dressing!
I can’t wait to make this. Being an Illinois/Indiana girl/mother/grandmother, it’s
what everyone loves – done exactly this way – and is served everywhere in the Midwest since
I was a child! Especially associated with pre/post sports games!
what everyone loves – done exactly this way – and is served everywhere in the Midwest since
I was a child! Especially associated with pre/post sports games!
Per normal….
Jeff shares the best sandwich recipes!! Thank you from a rural Illinoian
Jeff shares the best sandwich recipes!! Thank you from a rural Illinoian
This looks absolutely delicious. My husband & I love pork tenderloin. I always keep 2 packages in my freezer. I’m gonna try this next weekend as I just roasted 2 tenderloins yesterday. I’m excited to try his.