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Food & Wine Recipe

Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

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  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 8
  • •FAST
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •STAFF-FAVORITE

Jeremy Jackson's rendition of Iowa's famous pork tenderloin sandwiches showcases another state classic, Maytag blue cheese, in a creamy, tangy dressing. The sandwich is even better with a dash of hot sauce.

  1. 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  2. 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  3. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  4. 6 ounces blue cheese, preferably Maytag Blue, crumbled
  5. 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  7. All-purpose flour, for dredging
  8. 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  9. 2 cups fine, dry bread crumbs
  10. Two 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloins, each one sliced on the bias into 4 pieces and pounded 1/4 inch thick
  11. Vegetable oil, for frying
  12. 8 kaiser rolls, split
  13. 4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  14. 2 large tomatoes, cut crosswise into 4 slices
  15. Hot sauce, for serving
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the yogurt, then whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Stir in the blue cheese and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Put the flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Season the pork cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge the pork cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in the beaten eggs and bread crumbs.
  3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Fry 3 pork cutlets over moderately high heat until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels, then transfer the pork cutlets to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. Reduce the heat to moderate if they start browning too quickly.
  4. Transfer the cutlets to the oven and bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until just cooked through. Put the rolls in the oven, cut sides up, and bake for 1 minute, until the rolls are lightly toasted.
  5. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese dressing on each side of the rolls. Mound 1/2 cup of the shredded lettuce on the bottom half of each roll. Top with a tomato slice and a pork cutlet and close the sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve with hot sauce.
Make Ahead The blue cheese dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.