The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and the Alpha Cafe: Two Midwestern Staples

By Mike Ryan, OCJ Field Reporter

Summertime is county fair time, which means a great many things. County fairs bring a renewed appetite for fried favorites. Among the most iconic is the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, a Midwestern staple with deep roots in the region’s German heritage.

This hammered-thin, breaded, and deep-fried sandwich can be a visual novelty, with the pounded-thin meat often overhanging and overwhelming the standard-sized bun on which it is served. According to breaded pork tenderloin aficionados, there are two ways to top this impressive sandwich: with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, or with yellow mustard and dill pickle slices. For many, anything else is sacrilege. Yet some people insist on other toppings, such as ketchup, cheese, or onions (which this author recommends). Some folks fold over the flattened meat to make it less cumbersome on the bun; others halve it, get an extra bun, and save some for later; while other people nibble around the edges until the sandwich is of manageable size.… Continue reading