I love sales. All sales. When I find a great bargain, I’m like a kid on Christmas morning. Strange, I know. I can’t wait for the Sunday and Wednesday ads to come out so I can scour them for the best deals. It’s not uncommon for me to go to 5 or 6 different stores to get different sale items.
Drives my husband nuts.
What is a pork cutlet?
One of our local grocery stores are well known for their meats. I tend to see what they have on sale that week and then plan my menu around those items. One week, they ran a sale on something I had never tried at home before.
A pork cutlet.
A pork cutlet is pork that has been ground and and shaped into a patty. It’s traditionally breaded and then fried.
Perfect for a sandwich.
The pork tenderloin sandwich is a Midwestern favorite and can be found in many of the local diners.
How to make a perfect crispy Parmesan Dijon ork tenderloin sandwich?
The first step is optional but you will find it much easier to bread the cutlet if you do this. Put the cutlets in the freezer until they are slightly firm, but not frozen. Mine took about 20 minutes. This way they do not fall apart as you are breading them.
To start you will need 3 shallow bowls. In the first bowl add 2 eggs, 3 dashes of salt (just under 1/8 tsp) and 1 tsp dijon mustard. Beat with a fork until well combined.
It should look like this when you are done.
In the second bowl combine 1 cup panko, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 3 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese. Give a light mix (picture below was before the stir).
In the 3rd bowl add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine.
Next line the bowls up: flour, egg mixture, then panko.
Pull the cutlets from the freezer and coat each side in flour, then dip in egg mixture, and then into the panko. Gently set into a skillet that has been heating over medium heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. The cutlet should sizzle when placed in the pan.
Add a little more parmesan if you want. Cook on each side about 5 minutes or until nice and browned.
Flip and continue cooking until heated through, about another 4-5 minutes.
What is the perfect bun for a pork tenderloin sandwich?
Now for the ingredient that takes this sandwich to the next level…pretzel buns. These are so good and pairs perfectly with the cutlets.
Cut in half, butter each half and toast bun over medium heat until lightly toasted.
Remove from heat and add Dijon mustard and slice of White American Cheese (not pictured, sorry)
When you’ve assembled your sandwich, you will have this. It’s amazing! Enjoy.
Crispy Parmesan Dijon Pork Tenderloin Sandwhich
Ingredients
- 4 pork tenderloin cutlets
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for frying
- 4 tbsp salted butter for Frying, plus extra for buttering pretzel buns
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard plus additional 2 Tbsp to spread on buns
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup flour all purpose
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup panko
- 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 pretzel buns
- 4 slices white American cheese
Instructions
- Place the pork tenderloin cutlets in a single layer on a sheet pan and place into the freezer until firm, about 10 minutes. This will help ensure the cutlets don't fall apart when you batter and bread them.
- in a shallow bowl combine the eggs and 1 tsp Dijon. Beat well with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
- In a second shallow bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside.
- In a third shallow bowl combine the panko, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter.
- Remove the cutlets from the freezer. Grab one cutlet and dredge each side in the flour, then in the egg mixture, and then in the panko mixture.
- Gently place in the pork cutlet in the hot skillet. The cutlet should sizzle. If it does not sizzle, then increase the heat.
- Grate additional Parmesan cheese on top if you wish.
- Cook on each side until golden browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes each side.
- While the cutlet is cooking, toast a buttered bun over medium heat in another skillet.
- Remove the bun from skillet.
- Assemble the sandwich with Dijon mustard, white American cheese, and the fried pork tenderloin patty. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
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