History

Nick Freienstein, son of German immigrants, opened Nick's Kitchen in Huntington in 1908 and adapted the Wiener schnitzel of his parents' kitchen for Indiana ingredients. Veal was scarce and expensive in early-1900s Indiana but pork was abundant, so he butterflied a pork loin, pounded it thin, dredged it and fried it. Served on a hamburger bun for one-handed eating, the sandwich migrated across the state through diners and county fairgrounds. The Indiana legislature has considered making it the official state sandwich.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless pork loin chops, about 4 ounces each
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 cups dry plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • Vegetable oil for shallow frying
  • 4 soft white hamburger buns
  • Yellow mustard, dill pickle chips, sliced raw onion and shredded iceberg lettuce, to serve

Method

  1. Place each pork chop between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until paper-thin and roughly 9 inches across. The cutlet must overhang the bun by at least 2 inches on all sides.
  2. Season the pounded pork with salt and pepper on both sides.
  3. Set out three shallow bowls. Put flour in the first, the beaten egg in the second, and the breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder, onion powder and paprika in the third.
  4. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip in egg, then press into the seasoned breadcrumbs, coating both sides fully.
  5. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a wide cast-iron pan over medium-high to 350 F.
  6. Fry the cutlets one at a time, 90 seconds per side, until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a paper towel.
  7. Serve immediately on the soft buns with mustard, pickles, onion and lettuce. The cutlet should make the bun look comically small.

Tip from the editors. Pound thinner than feels reasonable. A real Hoosier tenderloin is the diameter of a dinner plate; the bun is just the handle.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat breaded pork tenderloin sandwich

Breaded pork tenderloin sandwich in Indianapolis

Workingman's Friend ★ 4.5

haughville

Why locals love it: A 1918 Macedonian-immigrant lunch counter in Haughville, off the West Side tourist map but still grinding out the city's defining smash burger.

Tip: Cash only. Don't ask for ketchup, ask for mustard. Closed Sundays.

234 N Belmont Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46222

More cities are in research. Want breaded pork tenderloin sandwich covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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