I followed this entire thread in hopes that someone out there has a recipe for a breaded pork tenderloin dinner similar to the one posted in this photo. I live in the Chicagoland area and want to find a recipe for the breaded pork tenderloin along with the traditional brown/light orange gravy. Please Help!!!

Davydd wrote:There have been various discussions on LTHForum about deep fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches so I suggest we consolidate here and pool information. I have been pursuing them for a while now and have dutifully recorded them in a web site photo gallery but haven't commented on them on that web site. You can view them for starters and maybe you will get inspired. I'd like to find more. So let's get started...

For the uninitiated were are talking about this...


New Archview Restaurant, Chicago

and this...


My own homemade "Hangover"

cheeseplease wrote:I followed this entire thread in hopes that someone out there has a recipe for a breaded pork tenderloin dinner similar to the one posted in this photo. I live in the Chicagoland area and want to find a recipe for the breaded pork tenderloin along with the traditional brown/light orange gravy. Please Help!!!

It's all right here except for the gravy.

Davydd wrote:

cheeseplease wrote:I followed this entire thread in hopes that someone out there has a recipe for a breaded pork tenderloin dinner similar to the one posted in this photo. I live in the Chicagoland area and want to find a recipe for the breaded pork tenderloin along with the traditional brown/light orange gravy. Please Help!!!

It's all right here except for the gravy.

What an awesome site - thanks! And yes, I'm still looking for the gravy! If anyone has a recipe for it, I'd appreciate it!

taking a couple days later this week for trip from central Wis west to Wabasha,Mn then in a southerly direction looking fr great PT sandwiches--putting lots of places in GPS---planning a bbq lunch Thurs in Ottumwa then back to sandwich searching---what are the some of the not to miss spots?
thanks

buzzd wrote:utting lots of places in GPS---planning a bbq lunch Thurs in Ottumwa then back to sandwich searching---what are the some of the not to miss spots?
thanks

On the road east from Ottumwa, Butch's River Rock Cafe in Oakland Mills, and Short Stop in New London both serve tenderloins and the Henry County specialty Elk Burger.

You haven't been anywhere until you've been to AJ's Bar and Grill in Mt. Sterling



AJ's Bar & Grill.
101 Elm St.
Mt. Sterling, IA 52573 319-494-5582

Tyrgyzistan wrote:

buzzd wrote:utting lots of places in GPS---planning a bbq lunch Thurs in Ottumwa then back to sandwich searching---what are the some of the not to miss spots?
thanks

On the road east from Ottumwa, Butch's River Rock Cafe in Oakland Mills, and Short Stop in New London both serve tenderloins and the Henry County specialty Elk Burger.

You haven't been anywhere until you've been to AJ's Bar and Grill in Mt. Sterling

good thing I'm retired--this trip may just take a little longer!! thanks

[quote=

You haven't been anywhere until you've been to AJ's Bar and Grill in Mt. Sterling


AJ's Bar & Grill.
101 Elm St.
Mt. Sterling, IA 52573 319-494-5582[/quote]

Spent acouple hours there yesterday-60deg and almost nice enuf to sit outside and watch waterfowl! Your pic looks the sandwich we had--was better then some we had this week but by far that largest--easily covered the platter. Friendly spot soon we were almost regulars--no booze though just beer. thanks for the heads up
buzz

Hi,

Please correct me if I am wrong, condiments served with breaded pork tenderloin sandwich:

- mustard
- raw onion, sliced
- dill pickle slices (not bread and butter?)

Is lettuce and tomato standard issue? Ketchup?

Regards,

It's kind of regional Cathy. I went to college in NE Iowa and all the BPT I had were served with either mustard or mayo only, nothing else. I prefer mayo and that's what I ask for when I find a place that serves them.

LikestoEatout wrote:It's kind of regional Cathy. I went to college in NE Iowa and all the BPT I had were served with either mustard or mayo only, nothing else. I prefer mayo and that's what I ask for when I find a place that serves them.

At the 4-H Fair near my wife's hometown in Indiana, they're served with pickles, raw onions, tomato and lettuce. Additional condiments like mayo, mustard and ketchup are self-serve and squeeze bottles or packets of those items are usually provided, depending on the vendor.

=R=

I would have to concur with the above posts, sliced raw onions with lettuce and tomato. Mustard and ketchup squeeze bottles. Sometimes the bun is buttered then grilled or toasted. Too often its just pulled out of a bag. Mayo is uncommon. Banana peppers super rare. BBQ Sauce only in BBQ restaurants.



My latest contribution is the Hot Loin of Pork from Little Bohemia Bar & Grill in Cedar Rapids,recently reopened in flooded area of Cedar Rapids, the building has been a restaurant of bar for over a hundred years and two major floods. Its a breaded pork loin served with homemade mashed potatoes and bread smothered in pork gravy topped with fresh ground black pepper:




Little Bohemia Bar & Grill
Cedar Rapids
1317 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids
(319) 364-9396

The Holy Trinity in Indianapolis is said to be mustard, onion and pickle.

Davydd wrote:The Holy Trinity in Indianapolis is said to be mustard, onion and pickle.

These are traditional in NW Iowa too. Spencer, Storm Lake, Emmetsburg area.

The most unusual toppings I've seen are from Kitty's Cafe in Kansas City, onions, lettuce and Asian hot sauce.
The only resemblance to traditional pork tenderloin is the cut of meat. It is tempura breaded and cut into three
pieces stacked on the bun.

It sounds strange but it is a wonderful sandwich.

Kitty’s Cafe
810 E 31st St
Kansas City, MO 64109

Tyrgyzistan wrote:

That's one good looking version of a tenderloin/schnitzel!
Great idea to have the bread-buffer on top to hold the gravy,
while still keeping the breading-crunch intact.
This deserves some kind of award for genius/innovation!

Davydd wrote:The Holy Trinity in Indianapolis is said to be mustard, onion and pickle.

Yes, yes, and yes.

(JiLS grew up in Indianapolis, where they served tenderloins in the school lunch line.)

Used to be at places around UMKC in Kansas City served 'pork tenders' (as we call 'em) on a bun, with lettuce, pickle on the side, and a small cuplette of spicy marinara sauce. Ours tended to not be the big-as-a-plate style, but thicker, and with a fairly coarse breading.

Interesting regional variants!

Geo

If you go to Dawson's on Main (Street) in Speedway, Indiana you not only get a great tenderloin sandwich but they have a special sauce for it. The best I can determine from a hint from the waitress is that it is a 50-50 combination of Sweet Baby Ray BBQ sauce and mayonnaise. Try it sometime. I tried it at home and I think that combination comes close.

We took our first RV trip this season and drove down to Van Buren, Missouri in the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways on our way to a Class B Social rally with others from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas, Ohio and Minnesota.

On our way we stopped at Smitty's Tenderloin Shop in Des Moines, Iowa and tried their tenderloin. Smitty's would be be described as an "Iowa Skinny". The Iowa skinny's meat is pounded very thin usually less than a 1/4" thick and is fried with a more finely textured breading. When bitten into it is rather crispy and is generally drier than most other tenderloins. This is an oft mentioned Iowa favorite but it has never won an award from the Iowa Pork Producers Association.



Our next stop was the Jolly Cone in Van Buren, Missouri. It is a walk-up to a counter with outdoor seating and primarily an ice cream shop. They served what would be better termed a fritter of constituted pork. Nevertheless the taste was fine. I'd put it a notch above the fritter served at the Mug n' Bun in Speedway, Indiana.



On our way back north we detoured to Bonnots Mill, Missouri near Jefferson City to seek out the Missouri Pork Board's 2009 best breaded pork tenderloin sandwich at Johnny Mac's Bar and Grill. Bonnots Mill is a small town at the terminus of a dead end road of about 8 miles on the Osage River. You are not going to just pass by it on the way somewhere. We tried to stop on our way down but found they were only open Thursday through Saturday from 3 PM and on. This time we timed it to arrive right at 3 PM on Thursday. The sandwich was a deserving winner - thick, moist and tender. Missouri holds no back seat to Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Note the Indianapolis 500 banner on the wall.



Finally we stopped in La Crosse, Wisconsin. We went to Rudy's Drive-in in La Crosse. Rudy's is an old fashion 50s style drive-in complete with carhops in pink poodle skirts delivering your window tray while on roller skates. That's the experience. Unlike similar drive-in restaurants this tenderloin was a true tenderloin and above average. Not a fritter. Rudy's is an inexpensive stop and a favorite place to take our grandsons.



This was our first trip of the season and just a warmup. Our main tenderloin tour trip is next month where we are heading to Washington, DC and back through Indianapolis for the Indy 500. If our schedule clicks we could end up sampling tenderloins in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Virginia, and an outside possibility in Ohio. Definitely Indiana.

Since I won't be able to be in Iowa or Indiana BPT Country anytime soon, I try to make do with what I can get to. When I feel the urge for BPT, I will wait until a Friday to go to the Riverside Restaurant on Harlem Ave. in Riverside. Their daily soups are very good, but Friday's soup is a Bohemian fish soup that is absolutely fantastic(like a crab bisque). Coupled with a tasty tenderloin on their wonderful house baked rye, its a very enjoyable meal. And under ten bucks with drink.

There is a very good article on BPT written by Jane and Michael Stern in this month's issue of Saveur magazine.

Tyrgyzistan wrote:Hadn't seen this thread bumped in a while. Most of the places I get to are not quite close enough to fit into any Great River Road thread. Maybe the Gunderburger in Gunder could fit right in with the Burgers of Wisconsin because its in an area of rolling hills and small towns with just a few buildings and a cheese factory in each one. I hope to make it to Eastern Iowa later this month to get some more places in.

So I was told, many spots in those parts of Iowa, esp. along the river near the Quad Cities, tend to do grilled 'loins. One place I'd be interested in hearing your take on the tenderloins would be 'TC's Point After' in Dewitt, Iowa. I checked the bible for Iowa 'loins and saw you had it mentioned but didnt see it reviewed. It's only about 25 minutes West of Clinton which is on the river. I thought about taking the River Road route from Dubuque down into the Quad Cities but had to be there for something I didn't want to be late for. I wasn't upset that TC's and Dewitt are en route from Dubuque to Davenport taking the quicker, less scenic way there.


Dewitt, IA

Dewitt is a small little Iowa town (Duh!?!) with a typical little Main street that has few food options including the Subway that had a line nearly out the door during lunch hour?!?!? and TC's just a few doors down. Hey, I guess you cant eat a tenderloin at TC's constantly but I sure as hell would if it was their 2009 2nd place at the Iowa State Fair Tenderloin sandwich or some shit served inside some foam from Subway. "They take a whole pork loin and cut of about a six ounce center portion of pork, run it through a tenderizer front and back, and then coat it with a secret homemade batter." I've actually been to the place that beat TC's out (Goldies in Prairie City, upthread) and remember both for their juiciness factor which is a big plus you don't always get with tenderloin sammys.


TC's Famous Breaded 'loin

TC's is a nice place to have as your local tavern, again typical Midwest vibe inside, this one with lots of old wood and on the darker side as far as lighting with a sports theme to it. Plenty of bar league trophies and Hawkeye stuff on display as well as memorabilia from the not so lovable losers over on Addison. They love their Cubbie baseball in Iowa, as anyone who lives near Wrigley knows. They come by the busload and over the years all their walking around, taking pictures and eating and drinking, while watching bad baseball at Wrigley has caused cracks in the stadium structure and sidewalks around it . So next time around, someone bring me over a tenderloin from TC's and I'll be a little more welcoming to all the big bone-ded individuals with their "____ Tavern in Iowa Cubs Trip 2012" shirts on. I keed. TC's = Top Notch.


Not just a great tenderloin, a great sandwich...

TC's Point After
719 6th Avenue
De Witt, IA 52742
(563) 659-8188

You hard cold brother, Da! So tough on those Hawkeye Cubbie fans...

But they *DO* know their pork tenders, eh?!

Geo

Tyrgyzistan wrote:

Hot damn! A pork tenderloin torta ahogada.

Binko, you *gotta* admit that that's a gorgeous torta! Dang, what I wouldn't give to have one of those hot and ready-to-eat on the table in front of me... but there's no chance in hell that such a delight would ever make an appearance in Montréal. But then, we've got poutine...

Geo

Wanted to share that I had an excellent pork tenderloin sandwich last week for lunch at The Grafton Winery in Grafton, IL. Dine upstairs and enjoy the view, draft beers, locally made wines and the view of the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

This was not a huge tenderloin, but large enough that I needed to cut it in half to fit on the bun. It was pounded to the thickness that seems just right for me - about 1/2 inch thick including breading. Deep-fried perfectly - crispy and hot but not at all greasy - served on a bun with the usual garden accoutrements and condiments. The bun could have been a little more sturdy but it held up OK.

Chips served with sandwich are locally made, too and they come in a foil pouch. Not crispy enough for my liking...I would do the upcharge to fries next time.

Davooda

The Saveur article is up.
http://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Iowa-Tenderloin-Sandwich

11th St Precinct Bar has a big gold trophy with a pig for their Best Tenderloin in the Quad Cities award they won in 2009. The Quad City Times Quadrants writers made videos of their visits to the local tenderloin places, and met "Chucky" from TC's Point After in a bit that can be seen on youtube. The Village of East Davenport is a small historic shopping and dining neighborhood between Davenport and Bettendorf.

If I understand correctly, the 11th St Precinct bar underwent a major facelift back in 2008 under a new owner and is now modernized with televisions everywhere and a stage for live music. The regular grilled tenderloin won the award, but I had to try the Big Kahuna, half a pound of grilled pork loin with rubbed in seasonings and good char topped with a spicy giardiniera for a "kick".






11th Street Precinct Bar & Grill
2108 East 11th Street
Davenport, IA 52803
http://www.11thstreetprecinct.com/

Stop by our place someday. I'll show you a real breaded tenderloin!

D.G.Sullivan wrote:Stop by our place someday. I'll show you a real breaded tenderloin!

I see from this post you're in Gibson City. You'll have to tell us more about the sandwich and what makes it special to justify the plugging - please share, and thanks for participating.

I've now had the tenderloin twice at Wobbly Boots at Lake of the Ozarks, MO. The size is right with a thin breading,
slightly thinner than I prefer but over all it is well worth trying. The best thing I've had there is the Hillbilly Cuban,
a Cuban style sandwich made with pulled pork BBQ.

Wobbly Boots Roadhouse
4705 Osage Beach Pkwy
Osage Beach, MO 65065