For years I have been hearing of something known at a BPT sandwich, a.k.a. a Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, a.k.a. an Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich.

While relatively simple in its ingredients, consisting of breaded and deep fried pork tenderloin, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard on a bun, the true allure of this sandwich is the size of the tenderloin cutlet. By taking 2-inch portions of a pork tenderloin, butterflying it, and pounding it as thin as possible before breading and frying, the cutlet pours out of the tiny bun like a fat man crammed into a size small t-shirt.

But since I have no plans to make a trek to Iowa in the near future, I set out to create my own grilled take on the BPT as part of Grillocracy’s ongoing partnership with the fine folks at Smithfield*. 

Starting with Smithfield Roasted Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin, I then amped up the sandwich with the addition of grilled pickles, charred tomato relish, and arugula mayonnaise! The result? The Ultimate Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich!

Perfectly seasoned and easy to prepare, the entire roster of Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork products include pre-seasoned tenderloins, sirloins, and loin filets.

In addition to the Iowa pork tenderloin sandwich recipe below, you can also get into the flavor game with 30 minutes and less recipes at “Smithfield Real Flavor, Real Fast”.  Also be sure to check out the video recipe for Smithfield’s Fresh Pork and Pasta Soup Bowls by clicking here!

ULTIMATE IOWA PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICH

YIELD: 4 sandwiches

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 sleeves saltine crackers

6 sandwich slice pickles (such as Vlasic Kosher Dill Stackers)

1 (1.15 pounds) Smithfield Roasted Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin

2 cups flour

3 large eggs

3 tablespoon water

Canola oil for frying

Arugula mayonnaise (recipe follows. Arugula mayonnaise can be prepared 2-3 days ahead of time.)

Charred tomato relish (recipe follows. Relish can be prepared 2-3 days ahead of time.)

4 hamburger buns

Instructions

Prepare the grill for 2-zone cooking, placing preheated charcoal briquets on one half of the grill’s charcoal grate in order to create a hot and a cool zone. Adjust the grill’s bottom vents to bring the temperature to approximately 400 degrees. 

Once the grill comes to temperature, lay pickles on the hot side of the grill and allow them to cook for approximately 2 minutes per side until lightly charred. Remove the grilled pickles and set them aside until ready to use.

Place the saltine crackers in a food processor and pulse until they create a fine crumb for breading. 

Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the tenderloin into four equal sections, each approximately 2” wide. Butterfly each section by making a vertical cut 3/4 of the way through them then opening them up like a book to double their size. Cover each butterflied section with plastic wrap then flatten them with a meat mallet until they are approximately 6 to 8 inches wide.

To bread the flattened pork tenderloin cutlets, set out three shallow bowls to create a dredging station. Fill the first bowl with flour. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and water and whisk until perfectly mixed. Fill the third bowl with the saltine cracker crumbs. Begin breading each cutlet by dipping them in the flour to coat both side, then in the egg, and finally in the saltine cracker crumbs.

Once the cutlets are breaded, add one inch of canola oil to a large sauté pan or Dutch oven and set it on the hot side of the grill. Using an instant read thermometer such as ThermoWorks Super-Fast Thermapen or candy thermometer, heat the oil to approximately 365 degrees. If the oil becomes too hot, simply move it to the cool side of the grill. Place one of the breaded cutlets in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until they are golden brown and cooked through (145 degrees internal temperature). Remove the cutlet from the oil and set on the cool side of the grill to remain warm as you fry the remaining three cutlets.

To assemble the ultimate Iowa pork tenderloin sandwiches, spread a thin layer of the arugula mayonnaise on both cut sides of the buns. Place one fried cutlet on each bottom bun then top with two grilled pickle slices, charred tomato relish, and the top bun. Serve immediately.

ARUGULA MAYONNAISE

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise

½ cup loosely packed arugula

Instructions

Combine the mayonnaise and arugula in a food processor and blend well until the arugula is completely incorporated into the mayonnaise. Refrigerate the arugula mayonnaise until ready to use.

CHARRED TOMATO RELISH

Ingredients

2 pints cherry tomatoes

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Prepare the grill for 2-zone cooking, placing preheated charcoal briquets on one half of the grill’s charcoal grate in order to create a hot and a cool zone. Adjust the grill’s bottom vents to bring the temperature to approximately 400 degrees. 

Add a vegetable grilling basket to the hot side of the grill and place the cherry tomatoes in the grilling basket. Allow the tomatoes to cook for 2-3 minutes, turning them frequently until lightly charred.

Remove the cherry tomatoes from the grill and place them in the food processor along with the garlic, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil and puree. Pour the pureed tomatoes into a small saucepan and set the saucepan on the hot side of the grill.  Allow the mixture to simmer while stirring frequently until it has reduced by half to create a thick relish.  If the mixture begins to scorch, simply move the pot to the cool side of the grill. Refrigerate the tomato relish until ready to use.

* Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Smithfield as part of their 2017 Marinated Bloggers Network but the recipe, opinions, and love of pork are all mine.