Indiana’s Massive Pork Tenderloin Sandwich | Cooking the States

The Indiana-style pork tenderloin sandwich is legendary in the state. Originally brought over and popularized by a German immigrant named Nick Frienstein of Nick’s Kitchen the restaurant in Huntington, Indiana started the trend sometime in the early 1900s. Sure, maybe this flat cutlet is reminiscent of schnitzel, but schnitzel is often made with veal and (usually) are a lot thinner. Regardless, the two are cousins... no, actually, more like fraternal twins. Let’s cook. 🤘🏻Adam

Yield: 8 Pork Cutlets, 6 Kaiser Rolls

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Indiana Pork Tenderloin + Kaiser Roll Sandwich

Ingredients

Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

• 8 pound Pork Loin Roast
• 8 cups Buttermilk
• 12 Eggs, divided
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 4 cups Bread Crumbs, ultra fine
• Black Pepper, to taste
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Yellow Mustard, to serve
• Mayonnaise, to serve
• Romaine Lettuce, sliced to serve
• Tomato, sliced to serve
• White Onion, sliced serve
• Pickles, sliced to serve

O.G. Kaiser Rolls

• 3/4 cup Warm Water, 105F (180g)
• 1 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast (5.5g)
• 1 1/2 tsp Sugar (8g)
• 3 cups Bread Flour (360g)
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt (3.5g)
• 1 Whole Egg (55g)
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, tempered and cubed (28g)
• 3 Egg Yolks, for egg wash
• Splash of Water, for egg wash
• Poppy seeds, for garnish

Homemade Kettle Chips

• 2 pounds Russet Potatoes, sliced thin
• Neutral Oil, for frying
• Kosher Salt, to taste

Instructions

Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

1. Cut the pork loin into 8 equal butterfly-ready pieces using the technique from the video. Spritz some water in a large plastic bag to help the pork spread out as it’s sounded. Pound each piece of pork to roughly half inch thick, very wide cutlets, set aside.
2. Whisk 3 eggs into the buttermilk, season with a big pinch of salt a few cracks of black pepper then marinate the pork cutlets for at least 2 hours, or up to a day covered, in the fridge.
3. Remove the cutlets from the marinade, pat dry. Blend the remaining 9 eggs with 1/4 cup of water to make an egg wash. Set up a 3-part dredging station starting with all-purpose flour, the egg wash, and the fine breadcrumbs. I like to set this up in wide, shallow trays.
4. Preheat neutral frying oil to 350F. Spritz the cutlets with water then dust in all-purpose flour, then the egg wash and lastly the breadcrumbs. Carefully lay the breaded cutlets in the hot oil and fry for 5-8 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on a wire rack or paper towel lined plate and season with salt.
5. Build the sandwich by first spreading mayo and yellow mustard on a halved Kaiser roll. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. Serve with chips and CRUSH!

O.G. Kaiser Rolls

1. Add yeast, sugar and water to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it activate for 5 minutes. Once bubbly, add in the egg then pour over the flour and add the salt. With the dough hook attached, run the machine on medium kneading until the dough is smooth. Begin dropping in the butter little by little, waiting to add more until each piece is fully incorporated into the dough. Once the butter is fully worked in and the dough passes the window test, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour, or until roughly doubled in size.
2. Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Use the tips of your fingers to roll the pieces into log shapes, then roll them out into strips about a foot long. Lightly dust the dough with flour then tie it forming a knot in the middle. Curl the dough around the knot then feed the end of the roll up through the middle of the roll. Place the each roll on a Sil-pat lined sheet tray. Mix the egg yolks together with a splash of water and brush each kaiser roll once with egg wash. Let sit uncovered for roughly 1 hour, or until doubled or nearly doubled in size.
3. Preheat the oven to 425F. Coat the rolls with a second layer of egg wash then sprinkle with each with poppy seeds. Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, or until perfectly golden brown and plump.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Do not store in the fridge immediately or they rolls will dry out, instead once cooled store at room temperature in a plastic bag.

Homemade Kettle Chips

1. Pre-heat frying oil to 350F. Carefully drop the potato slices into the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oil and transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle in some salt and toss to coat. Serve with pork tenderloin sandwich.

Adam's Notes

• In Indiana it's not a proper "Tenderloin Sandwich" if the cutlet isn't twice as big as the bun.
• This dish is served all over the state of Indiana from diners to state fair stalls.
• This cutlet is similar to Austrian schnitzel, but a big heftier and thicker.

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