Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sliders from Midwest ~ USA
by ....RaeDi
From the heartland, USA a wonderful sandwich that may not be the healthiest, but it sure is good! I am not for sure where the tenderloin sandwich was born or when. I know that for some this sandwich comes from Iowa, but those from Indiana will say it is from there, go to Illinois, Minnesota or Missouri you will hear the same thing. What I do know is that when I moved from the Midwest a few years(!) ago… that I have not seen it on a menu anywhere that I have lived since, East Coast from Connecticut to Virginia to South Carolina. Living here in the Pacific Northwest and all the travels in between (I have been to all fifty states) and the only place you will find it on the menu is the Midwest. The sandwich originated in the Midwest and I guess stayed there ~ for reasons I do not understand. People act strange if you ask if they make a tenderloin sandwich, always with a puzzled look on their face. I do know that it origins are in the Midwest and that it is a very good sandwich, need I know more?
If someone asked me to name some victuals from the American Midwest, this first to come to mind would be the tenderloin sandwich. What is a tenderloin sandwich some may ask… it is breaded pork tenderloin that is deep-fried and served on bun with fries. Not the healthiest of meals, but I do have to add, it is lip smacking good ~ scrumptious. One of those things that once it is gone, you wish you had taken a few more minutes to consume (chow-down.) As a child into young adulthood when I had the chance to get one it was always with mustard and dill pickles, which to me was all that it needed.
I will mention at this time, it was not something that Mom made at home; we only had it when eating out, usually at a quick restaurant of some kind. It is just one part of the Mid Western unique settings where so many other things make up the whole of the cuisine-fare there like: apple pie or all fruit pies, jello, fried chicken, and homemade bread to name just a few.
We had Pork Tenderloin yesterday eve for dinner, roasted. I cannot even remember the last time I ate pork tenderloin? But it was a nice piece of meat that I decided to roast part of it leaving the other part so I could make some pork tenderloin sliders for the next evening. When finding out I was saving a piece for the pork sliders the immediate question was what is a pork tenderloin slider? Again, I was surprised to know that there was someone who had no idea of what I speak… I remarked you will have to wait and see tomorrow night.
I have been thinking about when the last time I had this sandwich was, I could not even remember. I know that I have made them a couple of times when I first left the Midwest because of not finding them on anyone menus, but I just could not remember when was the last time I had one. I now wonder how I could forget about these wonderful sandwiches.
I hope they are as good as last night’s roasted pork tenderloin. It was so moist; the flavors were something I had not had in years. I find myself asking why I do not cook this more and I have no answers. I think that when I have my tenderloin slider tonight I will feel the same way, why did I wait so long to cook these wonderful sliders/sandwiches (I think I know why this is a once in every dozen or ‘more’ years dinner, it is not the healthiest meal, but boy is it good) ….
Ingredients:
- Cut Tenderloin to about ¾” disks ~ 4
- Crackers Crumbs ~ depends on how much you want to use to bread each tenderloin
- Beaten Eggs ~ 2
- Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
- 4 Slider Buns, toasted ( I used Potato Slider Rolls)
Once you have your disks of tenderloin cut, take the meat tenderizer and apply to each side of the meat until about 1∕8 and 1/4 inch thick. Dredge in eggs and then coat well with cracker crumbs, pressing the crackers into the meat as you go. They should be will breaded. Salt and Pepper them once you have them breaded.
Heat your oil, I use Canola and fry each to golden brown and turn, when it is golden brown on all sides I put on paper towels to absorb the extra oil. I even patted them with the paper towels to get as much of the oil that lingered off, they were not as greasy as I thought they would be.
I browned the top and bottom of the rolls ( I did not butter or put olive oil, just plain browning) on the cut sides, once the tenderloins were made I used romaine lettuce leaves, thin cut red onion slices, thin cut tomato slices and mustard to finish the slider/sandwiches. I like to put a dill pickle and pickled pepper on top of each held in place with a toothpick.
We had Bloody Marys and I put together a nice ‘healthy’ salad to go with this. I too baked some fries for those that wanted. The tenderloin slider/sandwiches (they were sliders, just the meat was a lot larger than the bun!) were delicious and a rare treat I probably will not make them again for at least as long as it has been since the last time I had them (still cannot remember!) They were a special treat from my childhood; I will admit I enjoyed the slider/sandwich very much. I realized as I was putting everything together for dinner that it is rare that we eat like this. I have been very health conscious foodwise for many years now, but I too believe in having a treat every once in a great while.
I do love-making tarts and such, using cream, butter and such, but just a few bites is all that I consume, so it is not so unhealthy, if all would eat just a sampling of these special treats instead of gorging themselves it could be healthy eating for everyone (most everyone.) I no longer bake the normal size cupcakes, they are all minis, the same with tarts it is seldom that I make a large tart, and they are usually no larger than six inches or smaller. Most times left overs go to friends, makes a nice sweet treat/gift. I will only take a quarter slice of one six-inch tart for dessert. That is more than enough to enjoy.
The sliders were a lot smaller than the average size tenderloin sandwich from what I remember, as a child they seemed to be dinner plate in size, my sliders were indeed a small portion of what was once served to me. I feel that sized down they are a lot healthier ~ will I can think they were! I loved revisiting my childhood through food the past couple of nights, the pork whether roasted or made into tenderloin sliders was finger-licking good, to some scrumptious, to others very tasty but thoughts would be on how healthy is the fried pork sliders? The roasted pork will definitely be a repeater. Once every couple of decades I think it is okay to partake in this mouth-watering breaded, fried meal….
RaeDi at Hummingbird Hollow 
Wow, I loved the tenderloin recipe. I love this as much. Really cool, and you’re right must be a midwest, heartland kind of deal. I don’t remember them from the East or West Coast and I don’t see them here in Arkansas. Did I already say they look fabulous?
Will that is one more state, Arkansas, that I know… knows nothing about this sandwich. But I tell you it is really good. Where are you at there in Arkansas? Close to the Ozarks? Loved spending time there during the fall each year. Thank you for your wonderful comments….RaeDi
I had no idea what I was doing when I first made my little sliders…but man o man were they delicious. Thanks for stopping by my blog and taking the time to comment. I can tell I’m going to like it here and am a new subscriber. Hope you’ll subscribe to mine.
Thank you, yes they are good, I do not understand why people outside of the Midwest do not know about them. I too use a pro deep fryer to cook mine, it really makes the different. After I had written my blog I was informed that we would be having these again. Thank you for stopping by, and adding me and I am more than happy to do the same….RaeDi
Raedi, I believe the popularity of the Pork Tenderloin started back in the 50’s at the Famous “Millie’s Drive-In” in Des Moines, Iowa. You almost had to have reservations to get in and order from the car! The were gigantic! 75 cents and served with pickle and mustard, onions optional.I was in nurses training in DM in ’57-’60 and the gals would order them and a taxi would deliver to the dorm. Our dorm sat up on a hill and if it was snowing, we always ordered and extra for the driver and go to the bottom of the hill and push the taxi up to the dorm! He would come in and we would buy him a coke from out machine (5 cents) and he would come in and eat with us! They were the size of a plate, about 3/8″ thick…very crispy and tender pork in the middle. You would nibble the meat that hung out around the bun as it would hang over the 8″ bun about 2″ all around! Many would split one as they were so big! I can still taste them!
I had had then for several years before I went to school down, when we would go to visit Uncle John and Aunt Rita! I would imagine the drive-in started in the late 40’s. It was closed in the early ’70’s when someone bought it to build a bigger building…..probably another insurance company.
There is still an excellent tenderloin shoppe on Army Post Road, just south and east of the airport….”Smitty;s Tenderloins”! It’s so tiny you can hardly get in! But their loins are as good or better than Millie’s. They sell hundreds a day and you can order packages of frozen to take home. Many former Iowan’s will place an order when they fly into town and pick them up before they get to the airport! It’s a piece of history for anyone who used to live there.
Since we get back so seldom, I usually order a big one (your can order a half sandwich that is huge) as I know it will have to last my urges for a year! Yes, I am miserable for hours, but it is a good miserable!
This year we bought a dozen, breaded and frozen to bring home from Fareway Grocery! We still have some in the freezer…guess what we are having for dinner tonight! Thanks for reminding me. We will eat it in memory of your Mom today! She loved them too! I have some large onion buns we will put them on! Hope we can back this year and maybe pick up 2 dozen! I have made them from pork tenderloin roast too. Jon just got them out of the freezer! Hope we can get back for Grandma Mueller’s 103rd birthday in Aug! She’s like a Timex watch…just keeps on ticking! Of course we will stop by Smittie’s first to have one of theirs! We’ll take a big bag down to Rita’s and sit and feast! Iowa is the largest pork producing stte in the world and they are noted for their pork recipe’s. Pork Patties are their state meat!!
Love ya! Aunt Kate (2-16-12)
Thank you Kate for the information, I am sure my readers will like the information, I could not find it even using Google. It is hard to fathom why the tenderloin sandwich is ‘unknown’ is most of the USA. It is so good! They were such a treat for us, those few times that we got to have lunch out with Mom, and she loved them. After all she was born in the pork capital of the world… Iowa. Thanks for reading the blog and hope you enjoy, love ya….RaeDi I cannot belive that Ray’s Mom is still ‘ticking!’