Breaded Pork Tenderloin & Sugar Cream Pie - Indianapolis Colts TD Entry
[SIZE=11pt]I spent several days searching the internet for “Famous Foods of Jacksonville” and such, trying to find that dish that was the intersection of something I’d like to cook and also something that is justly famous in it’s town of origin. Jacksonville, Arizona, Dallas - none of them really had a specific food or dish that won me over. Then along came Indianapolis, and the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is not very well known outside of a few midwestern states, and that’s a crime I mean to rectify! The tenderloin sandwich I speak of originated at Nick’s Kitchen in tiny Huntington, Indiana back in 1904 and then spread throughout the midwest. Iowa and Indiana both lay claim to the best tenderloin sandwiches, but downstate Illinois also makes a very respectable version. It was at the Village Inn located in Spring Bay, IL where I had my very first tenderloin sandwich back in the late 80s, and that was the start of a long and passionate love affair. I’d never made them for myself until now.
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[SIZE=11pt]Cut ¾ inch slices from a 3-4lb pork loin and then butterfly them. Wrap between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound them out till 1/4" thin with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small sauce pan.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Take the flattened pork and dredge it in flour. Then dip it into an egg wash made from 3 eggs and 1 cup of milk. Once it’s fully submerged remove and toss it in a shallow dish that’s filled with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp bahamain goat powder, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ cup bread crumbs, ½ cup panko, ½ cup crushed cheese it crackers and ½ cup crushed saltines.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Slide the breaded pork into a pan filled with 375 degree oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain on a rack and keep warm in an oven until the rest of the tenderloins are done.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=11pt]A good pork tenderloin sandwich combines the thin tender pork and a savory spicy breading that's fried till perfectly crisp. Normally they dwarf the bun they’re served on and come with your regular sandwich condiments. I like mine with pickle, onion and mustard. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Sides are simple; fries and coleslaw. I picked up criss cross fries, because they’re fancy.
The coleslaw is fast and easy too: Take 3 cups of cabbage (1 smallish head) and 1 medium carrot and shred them in the food processor. Add 2 tbsp minced onion, ½ cup mayo, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp aleppo flakes and a tbsp of your favorite hot sauce. Mix well and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]To round out our meal I have prepared another Hoosier state staple for dessert; Sugar Cream Pie. It’s the official state pie of Indiana! It’s also something I’d never heard of until about a week ago. LOL! [/SIZE]
Make a simple pie crust using using 1 ¼ cups flour, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 5 oz butter and 3 tbsp cold water. Roll it out into an 11 inch circle and drape over a pie pan. When the crust is done make the filling: Take ¾ cup flour and mix in ½ cup sugar and 1 cup turbinado sugar. Add ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg and ¼ tsp ground ginger.
Mix these ingredients well and then add 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 1 ½ cups half and half and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Blend everything up very well with a whisk and then pour into your prepared pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 - 45 minutes until the crust is golden and the center is set. (I used the toothpick test method and it took 40 minutes)
Dust with some more cinnamon and allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
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[SIZE=11pt]This was a lot of fun, and I really loved that sandwich. It will be making more frequent appearances at our table. Amazing entries all - you guys have blown this TD up!!
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