Saltine-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Saltine-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

In the Midwest, especially in diners throughout Indiana and Iowa, you’ll find pieces of pork tenderloin pounded flat and fried — some as impressively wide as a hubcap. In this homestyle version, the Midwesterness is amplified by encrusting the pork cutlets in crumbled saltine crackers and pan-frying them in a mix of butter and oil to enhance flavor and richness. The result is crisp, tender, golden pork that’s delicious as a main course with mashed potatoes and applesauce, stacked high on a roll, or cold straight from the fridge the next day.

Yield: 4 servings

1 pound pork tenderloin

Salt and black pepper

2 eggs

1 to 2 sleeves saltine crackers

4 tablespoons butter 

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Slice the tenderloin into about ½-inch-thick pucks (you should have 14 to 16 pieces). One at a time, place each piece under a sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Using the heel of your palm, press to flatten until roughly 3 inches across (portions cut from the tapered end of the loin may be smaller). Lightly salt and pepper the pork on both sides and leave them on the board.

In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Crumble one sleeve of saltines inside its bag and empty into a separate wide shallow bowl, crushing any large pieces with your hands. (The crumbled saltines should resemble a mix of fine sand and small pebbles, and no pieces should be larger than an oatmeal flake.)

Set up your breading station in a row: beaten eggs, crumbled saltines, and a large empty plate. Using a fork, pick up a piece of pork and dredge it in the eggs, then fully coat both sides with saltines, and place on the plate. If you run out of saltines, replenish from the second sleeve.

Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium. Add 2 tablespoons each butter and oil. When the butter melts into the oil and starts to foam, it’s time to add the pork. (You can also test by adding a saltine crumb; if it starts to sizzle, then it's time to fry.)

Fry half the pork pieces until golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Before flipping, if the pan appears dry, add 1 tablespoon oil around the perimeter of the skillet. Flip and fry pork until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Skim any orphaned saltine bits from the skillet, then add the remaining butter and oil and fry the second batch.

Serve with mashed potatoes and applesauce, or tuck into buns to make sandwiches, if you like.