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Breaded pork tenderloin sandwich
Giant crisp pork schnitzel in a small bun, Indiana and Iowa style
The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is the pride of small-town diners in Indiana and Iowa: a pork cutlet pounded so thin and wide that the crisp, golden edges stick out far beyond the bun. It came from the German schnitzel tradition of the farming towns, and people drive miles to compare them. It's dressed simply with mustard, pickles, onion and lettuce. Chef's tip: pound the pork evenly to 5 mm; thin pork cooks through in the time it takes the crumb to turn golden.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Stand each piece of 1 ⅛ lb pork tenderloin on its cut end, cover with cling film and pound with a rolling pin into a thin cutlet about 5 mm thick and 20 cm across.
10 minStep 2: Put the 2 ⅛ oz plain flour mixed with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper in one plate, the 2 eggs beaten with ¼ cup milk in another, and the 5 ½ oz salted crackers mixed with the 2 ⅛ oz dried breadcrumbs in a third. Coat each cutlet in flour, egg, then crumbs, pressing firmly.
8 minStep 3: Heat 1 cm of 2 cups vegetable oil in a large frying pan to 350°F. Fry one cutlet at a time for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden and the pork is white throughout and reaches 145°F at the thickest part.
12 minStep 4: Drain on a rack and rest 3 minutes. A common mistake is a crowded pan, which makes the crumb greasy.
3 minStep 5: Put each cutlet on a 4 soft burger buns base and add 4 tsp yellow mustard, 12 dill pickle slices, ½ white onion and 4 leaves iceberg lettuce, then the lid. The pork should hang well over the edges.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does breaded pork tenderloin sandwich take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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