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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Iowa
Sandwich of pork loin pounded until thin, breaded and fried, served on a hamburger bun much smaller than the meat. It’s the sandwich most associated with Iowa, the state that raises the most pigs in the United States.
Traditional dish from Iowa
Also known as: pork tenderloin sandwich, Iowa tenderloin, breaded tenderloin
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Breaded pork tenderloin sandwich — Iowa, the United States
In Iowa, tenderloin is not a roast: it’s a sandwich. A medallion of pork loin is pounded with a mallet until thin and wide, coated in breadcrumbs or a batter and fried until golden. It goes on a soft hamburger bun, and the meat extends well beyond the edges of the bun — that size difference is the sandwich’s hallmark.
Iowa is the state that produces the most pork in the United States, and the tenderloin is everywhere: in small-town cafés, roadside drive-ins, county fairs and church and school events. The sandwich is also popular in neighboring Indiana, which contests its origin.
Every year since 2003, the Iowa Pork Producers Association awards a state breaded tenderloin in a contest, and the Iowa tourism office publishes a dedicated route of stops called the Tenderloin Trail.
The toppings are simple: mustard, pickles and raw onion, sometimes mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato, with French fries on the side.
Pounded pork loin, breadcrumbs or batter, eggs, frying oil and a soft hamburger bun.
By hand, with mustard, pickles and onion, and French fries on the side; many people eat first the part of the meat that hangs out past the bun.
Year-round; especially common at summer fairs and community events.
Your questions
It’s a sandwich of pounded pork loin, breaded and fried, served on a hamburger bun much smaller than the meat.
The loin is pounded until thin and wide before being breaded and fried, and the meat extends well beyond the bun. That is the sandwich’s signature.
Generally with mustard, pickles and onion, sometimes mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato, and French fries on the side.
Flavors of the United States
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Thick stew of chicken, lima beans, corn and tomato, cooked for hours in iron pots. The Virginia General Assembly points to Brunswick County as the place of origin, in a long-standing dispute with Georgia.
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Oval puff pastry, made of very thin layers, filled with fruit, nuts, or cream and topped with icing. Brought by Danish immigrants, it is Wisconsin’s official dessert.
