A Chicagoland Twist on an Indiana Classic

The conversation went something like this:

‘Linda, have you ever heard of a place called...I’ll spell it, g-n-a-w-b-o-n-e?’

‘(speaking phonetically) Naw bone? Yeah, I’ve heard of it.’

‘Is it far from your house?’

‘About a half an hour, why?’

‘Gourmet Magazine just wrote about some place called the Gnawbone Food & Fuel in Gnawbone, IN. They apparently make amazing pork tenderloin sandwiches! Have you ever heard of pork tenderloin sandwiches? It’s an Indiana thing.’

‘Um yeah, I’ve had them before. Everyone has them. Liz, the Food & Fuel is a gas station.’

‘No, it must be a different place. Up for a road trip?’

‘Okay.’

So I loaded up the kids and drove five hours from Naperville, IL to Madison, IN. The next day, with my sister and her two sons also packed in the minivan, we headed off to Gnaw Bone, IN to taste-test some raved-about tenderloin sandwiches. The Food & Fuel IS a gas station. The Food & Fuel tenderloin sandwiches were pretty terrible (gas station food terrible), but at least the service was...terrible too. The Gourmet Magazine article was proudly displayed across the front of the counter that encased the unsmiling, unpleasant woman responsible (allegedly) for taking orders and providing food. I couldn’t possibly have made this story up and I have pictures to document our efforts. We ate the leather-esque sandwiches (complete with gas station quality hamburger bun and limp supermarket tomato) in the fix-it bay area of the gas station. Could have been charming and cool....wasn’t. I learned a very important lesson that day that I take with me going forward.... I’m just kidding. I didn’t learn any lesson and that same indulgent sister has accompanied me on other dreadful search and discover food missions since this one. I’m still optimistic/naive enough to travel anywhere to try food I’ve read or heard about. The upside to this particular adventure (other than some really good ice cream further down the road) was my desire to figure out how to make a GOOD pork tenderloin sandwich.

If you’ve read this blog before then you know that I hold pork tenderloin in very high esteem. I LOVE pork tenderloin. The thought of forcing it into an unnatural state was a bit painful for me however. A very short-lived pain, I assure you. Because the flavor of pork is so amazing, very little - in the way of flavoring ingredients - needs to be added. My family and I believe the ‘sandwich’ part of the ‘pork tenderloin sandwich’ adds nothing so we have chosen just to eat the pork cutlets. Feel free to encase in a good-quality bun if you want.

Chicagoland Pork Cutlets (as opposed to Indiana Pork Cutlets)

1 2ish pound pork tenderloin

1 cup panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs

1/3 cup regular bread crumbs

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

2 eggs lightly beaten

2 tbsp water

dash of tabasco (this can be left out, but I love a little zing in my food!)

3/4 cup flour

Vegetable oil

Cut across pork tenderloin making 1-inch thick discs. Place one disc between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper. Pound with meat mallet until 1/2 inch thick. Continue doing the same with remaining discs.

Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in large frying pan (I use a paella pan because it’s big and deep) until shimmering.

I use 3 pie pans for this next step. Place flour in one pie pan. Combine eggs, water and tabasco in second pie pan. Mix panko crumbs, regular bread crumbs, thyme, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper in the third pie pan. Take the first cutlet and dredge in the flour, completely covering. Dip the cutlet in the egg wash. Coat the entire thing with the panko mixture. Complete 2 or 3 at a time - depending on how many will be cooking at once. Slide these gently into the oil to cook and then prepare the next 2 or three. I have found that if the cutlets sit, already completely prepared for more than a couple of seconds, they get mushy. Do not crowd the pan or the temperature will drop and the cutlets will soak up too much oil, thereby making them greasy and soggy. Cook 2 minutes per side. Remove to an waiting plate covered with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

This recipe takes minutes to create. The pork is tender on the inside and really crunchy on the outside. And, best of all, the flavor of the pork tenderloin is allowed to be itself! Amazing pork flavor with crunchy exterior!!