A Breaded Pork Tenderloin Fit For a Toddler
Description
There are meat treats that burst with big beefy flavor, and there are meat treats where a bunch of protein is dressed up in and/or disguised by tastes familiar to and/or loved by your child. This one is the latter.
Drawing inspiration from the hubcap-sized breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches of Iowa and Indiana, here we go all in on crispy and juicy; mustard and a soft and sweet roll make it feel as familiar and comforting as a hamburger or a hug. We’re not without our usual tricks, of course: parmesan and lemon zest in the breading give it a nutty and savory flavor that’s lighter than a shallow-fried piece of pig meat might otherwise suggest; the finished product looks pretty similar to a chicken tender or cutlet. New and familiar at the same time.
(Note: the recipe photo below is more a visual nod to how breaded pork tenderloins are typically served–i.e., with the meat stretching well past the edge of the bun–than a serving suggestion; simplify and/or eliminate the sandwich component at your discretion. See the “Serve” section below for tips on how to approach it.)
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep
- If your meat is not precut, cut meat into ½ inch slices, as needed. With a meat tenderizer, pound each slice until flattened. Salt and pepper each slice.
Set up your ‘crusting’ station by taking out three flat containers and filling one each with the following:
- flour. Shake and sift until it covers the bottom of container.
- egg + a glug of soy sauce. Beat until mixed.
- Breadcrumbs + parmesan + lemon zest. Pour enough breadcrumbs in to fill the bottom of the container and then some; grate or spread cheese over the top of the crumbs, followed by a light zesting of your lemon. Sift to evenly distribute.
- Dredge each slice of pork in flour, followed by a coating of the egg mixture; allow excess egg to drip off the slice. Then roll pork in breadcrumb mixture until coated.
Cook and Assemble
- Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a pan over Medium heat. Once shimmering, add pork slices and cook for two minutes.
- Flip the pork slices and cook for another 90 seconds. Remove from heat and blot with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- If using, lightly toast the buns/rolls, brushing each with a bit of mayonnaise.
Serve
If you’re trying this out for the first time and/or your child isn’t a huge on-a-bun (little) person, serve just the pork patty, cut in strips; we recommend cherry-picking the bites your child will most enjoy and/or find easiest to eat–most likely the crispy edges at the ends of each piece. If serving as a sandwich, you can do as Iowans do and top with some bread-and-butter pickles and mustard, but the pork also wants for little more than a squeeze of lemon.
Adapt
You can use this technique for chicken and beef, too; the cook time should be the same. You can also skip the breadcrumbs and use parmesan as the jacket by mixing the flour with a ton of grated parmesan and a bit of lemon zest; lightly spray the meat pieces with a bit of cooking spray, then roll in the flour-cheese mixture. Cook as directed above.
