Whether piled high on a banquet table or spotlight in an total episode of Alton Brown ’s Food web show Good Eats , the tenderloin is a versatile cut of meat that creates a multifariousness of moist , delicious sandwich .
First , the staple . As its name implies , the combat zone is the most raw muscle in four - legged animals because it ’s not actually worked all that often . Historically the undercut has n’t been turn over esteemed — few all right steakhouses attend center - cut tenderloin , and if you walk into any supermarket today one of the cheapest cuts of meat will doubtless be the porc tenderloin . But over the last few years , both pork barrel and beef tenderloin have receive a revitalisation , of sorts .
Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
How often are sandwich the subject of a documentary ? In his 1998 shortsighted film In Search of the Famous Hoosier Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich ! , managing director Jensen Rufe ventured through the great , all-encompassing state of Indiana in search of the ultimate pork combat zone sandwich — eat nothing but them for breakfast , lunch , and dinner , seek out eatery - by - eating house discrepancy , and uncover closely guard recipe secrets from local Mom - and - Pop shops . This try took a hebdomad and might have even live longer if Rufe had had more time to spare and imagination to drop — there ’s no shortage of pork barrel tenderloin sandwiches in the Midwest , after all , as the region considers the nutrient a root of pride .
So , what is it ? Basically , it ’s a bread , fried pork tenderloin scallop on a hamburger bun . Since a peeled cut of combat zone broadly has a cylindrical condition , the meat is trimmed , forge thin — so flimsy , superfans say , that you should be able to tear off pieces of the core with your hand — with a meat mallet , dipped in flour , eggs , and breadcrumbs , and dunk into hot oil . ( Unlike its snug cousin the Wiener Schnitzel , classic pork tenderloin sandwiches are deeply - fried and not pan - fried . ) Once comfortably in position on a roll , the pork barrel is topped with leaf mustard , lucre , onion plant , pickles , and mayo , and served with fries or Allium cepa rings . When all ’s said and done , the creation sort of resemble the major planet Saturn : a round roll with a thin , oblong piece of meat hang off the side .
Midwestern country repugn for the championship of best BPT ( slang for “ bread pork tenderloin ” ) . porc production alone adds $ 2.5 billion to the Iowan economy ; it ’s here in the capital city of Des Moines that a eating house called Smitty ’s has been serve the “ original ” pork tenderloin sandwich since 1952 . There ’s even an Iowan web log cleverly named Des Loines , and it focuses on — c’mon , take a guess .
Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches
Of of course , beef tenderloin is a tasty treat unto itself , too ; in fact , you might very well eat tenderloin all the metre but do n’t even do it it . Oblong in form , the thickest ending of the tenderloin ( faithful to the tail ) can be turned into beef carpaccio ; in the meat , a “ tenderloin steak ” or perhaps even Chateaubriand ( a formula that call for the meat to be serve with a sauce of white vino , shallots , butter , tarragon , and lemon juice ) ; and the thin end in the very front can be cut into filet mignon . ( “ Mignon ” in French means " cute , " but is often used in this context to mean " low " . ) allow the filet to fancy steakhouses near and far : here we ’re most interested in the center cutting of the tenderloin , which produces tender steaks that can be sliced thin for crowd - pleasing sandwich .
A classic beef tenderloin sandwich formula from fame chef Emeril Lagasse can be repair to your gustatory perception at abode , and without much difficulty : sear the tenderloin on all sides , roast for 25 minutes in the oven until the meat is average - rare , slice thin , and serve on a baguette with horseradish mayo ( mayo , horseradish , lemon yellow juice , saltiness , and pepper all whisked together ) , arugula , and freshly shave parmesan cheese . Slice crosswise and serve with a spicy crimson vino .
