Hoosier Roots: Gluten Free Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

Full Disclosure, I know, I know, this is my 2nd food blog this week.   So here is what happened, my husband loves pork so a couple of months ago I started making Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches for him and O.  Funny thing is that O isn't really a big pork fan in spite of the fact that her father has spent a lot of time with her hunting wild hogs on our land. I swear sometimes, this kid is so much like me, I can't believe I didn't give birth to her.     (Don't hate me because of the hunting.  Trust me these creatures are incredibly destructive and you don't want to meet one alone, without protection!).  

Oddly, growing up my grandfather raised pigs and I wasn't a big fan of anything pork either, outside of bacon and sausage and come on, with the amount of fat in those things, who wouldn't love them. 

Alas, I am from Indiana originally and the unofficial, or maybe it is official, food of Indiana is Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches.  These things are magic. Go to any county fair in Indiana and you will find these things.  When I go home, I am forever trying to fit all the family visits in with my quest to get my Hoosier family to take me to the best Pork Tenderloin sandwich place they know.  These things are so freaking good!  Not a bit healthy but amazing. How they have managed to keep them from going global is beyond me.  My husband and kid both completely fell in love with them the minute I started making them.  Even more, they accused me of holding out on them because in the 2 plus years we have been together, I never thought to make them before. 

Now the original food is not gluten free.  In order to pull this off gluten free, I had to do some modifications but apparently from the text I received this morning from hubs who was eating a leftover sandwich for lunch, I hit the nail on the head:

 "Good gracious honey, that sandwich is so good!  Thank you very much."  

Alright, so let me start by telling you a few things about this sandwich.  Traditionally, you put pickles and mayo on the sandwich and pretty much that is it.   I prefer them traditional style.  Hubs, on the other hand, leaves off the mayo.   O likes to make these into Chick-fil-a type sandwiches by adding my homemade Chick-fil-a style sauce.   She calls them fake CFA sandwiches.  Truthfully, you can add just about anything you want to this sandwich. Tomato and lettuce would be good starters.  Some folks add onion and cheese.   I prefer the simpler version because the tenderloin is the star.  Also, you have to understand, the meat is suppose to hang way off the side of the bun.  The bun is basically something to hold on to while you enjoy your amazing pork tenderloin.  When you get them at the fair, the meat will easily be between 2 and 3 times the size of the bun. 

If you want to keep these gluten free you will need to add your favorite gluten free hamburger buns.  You can also serve these with gravy if you don't want a sandwich, again a gluten free gravy if you are living a GF life.  

For those of you that aren't living a GF life, you can use regular flour and Panko bread crumbs instead of the Rice and Almond flour in the recipe.   

One last warning:  I don't use a recipe when I make this sandwich.  I like to think that I am an intuitive cook.  I use the same ingredients each time and about halfway through I end up having to make some extra flour mixture up or add more egg/milk wash to get by.   I also don't have any idea how big the meat is most of the time so I did my best to provide you with a reasonable estimate but really, this recipe is easy and you kind of just add stuff together, dip, and fry so if you run out of coating, don't panic, just throw some ingredients in a bowl and keep going.   I promise you about the only thing you can do to really ruin this is to add too much salt.  

Recipe:

2 pounds center cut pork loin.  (I have also made these with thick cut boneless pork chops)

2-3 eggs 

1/4 cup milk

1 Tablespoon Season Salt.  

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 1/4 cup rice flour

1 1/4 cup almond flour

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning or Parsley Flakes

Fresh ground pepper to taste 

Vegetable Oil for frying (I didn't say this was healthy or low fat, just GF and yummy!) 

Instructions:

Heating:

Somewhere between preparing the pork and breading them, start to heat about 1/4 inch oil in a large skillet.   I admit I eyeball this and don't measure because the size pan will make a difference on the amount of oil.   Also, if you have a chicken fryer, that is the perfect size pan for these large pieces of meat. 

Pork:

Cut the pork loin into about 3/4 inch wide pieces.  Now here is the fun part.  Get your kitchen mallet out and start beating that pork.   I call mine "The husband beater".  Whatever works. 

Pound them thin.  The thinner the better. If your meat is tough you may have to use the tenderizer side a little first to break down the meat but the goal is to use the flat side and just thin this puppy out.   Don't worry if you pound a few so thin they fall apart.   These make amazing dippers with your favorite dipping sauce).   They should be about 1/4 inch thick or thinner if possible,  when you are done.   Remember, the meat is suppose to hang off the sides of the bun, a lot.   Don't worry if they are too big for your rolls.  That's how it is suppose to work.

Crust:

Mix together Season Salt, Garlic Powder, Parmesan Cheese, Rice Flour, Almond Flour, Italian Seasoning, and pepper.   Set in a bowl.  

Egg Wash:

Beat together eggs and milk to make a wash. 

Putting it together:  

(Now is the time to get that oil heating over medium-high heat)

Get a flat bowl to put the egg wash in and paper plates for the flour mixture and the coated pork.  Throw some flour mix on the plate and start assembling.  First dip your thinly beaten meat in the flour then the egg wash and back in the flour.   Coat each side liberally and place on a paper plate until your oil is hot enough to fry.  When you have 2-3 coated you are ready to start frying.   Place the pork in the hot oil and cook until the first side is golden brown.  Flip and repeat the cooking.  When the entire thing is golden brown remove from oil and start over until all the pork is cooked.   I usually get about 4-5 breaded before I start cooking.  This way I can complete the breading on anything left while the first 2-3 are cooking.  

Cleaning and serving:

Once all your pork is done, obviously you are going to turn off the oil and set aside to cool.  Also, now is a really good time to clean up the flour you probably got all over your counters, if you are anything like me. :)  My husband refuses to help me clean the kitchen whenever I make fried chicken or pork tenderloin sandwiches because the flour concoction ends up coating any flat surface in the area.  Seriously, one day my black and tan dachshund had a layer of flour dust all over her when she was sitting in the kitchen while I cook.  I am like some mad scientist in the kitchen.  

Place your Pork on the bun with your toppings of choice.  These go great with a pickle on the side and some chips or you can add a healthy veggie side to feel better about eating a fried pork sandwich. I serve them with potatoes because I am a farm girl at heart and meat and potatoes are what I was raised on.  However, if in season, you couldn't go wrong with an ear of fresh picked corn.

Alright folks, that is me, sharing one of the traditional foods of the great state of Indiana.   I hope you enjoy and as always, thank you for reading and sharing this blog.  

XO

Laura   

Fake Chick-Fil-A sauce:
I almost forgot, if you want to make a chick-fil-a style sauce at home just throw together equal parts Mayo, BBQ sauce, and Mustard.   (Add a little more Mayo if it is too spicy).   That's the big secret.  I know, I  know.  REALLY?

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Real cookies

Gluten Free goodness

Somewhere around the first of the year I decided because of all the tummy troubles I was having that it was time to remove gluten and see if this helped me survive.  So far it has eliminated about 80% of the problems.  I suspect that dairy may also be a problem but I can't think about giving up cheese.   I have switched to almond milk for my smoothies and rarely have anything else so I will suffer the cheese  problems.

They look like real cookies

Alright so that brings me to my problem with figuring out how to cook again without flour and bread crumbs.  Not to mention I have got to find a reasonable gluten free bread because not only am I going to spend $5 for a mini loaf of dry, heavy gluten free bread, but seriously the taste is somewhere between cardboard and crackers on just about every brand I have tried.  The cinnamon raisin bread is good, but that is about it.   Seriously, if you put cinnamon and raisin in saltines, it would probably taste good. 

The brown look like real peanut butter cookies actually.

So I decided it was time to try my hand at a gluten free PB cookie.   I have tried the cookies that have nothing but peanut butter, eggs, and sugar in them and while they actually do taste like cookies, they are way too sweet.   So I added gluten free flower and crossed my fingers. 

The cookies turned out good.  Really good.  My husband and kid devoured them good.    I used coconut flour and almond flour in the batter and the coconut flour gave it a distinct coconut flavor.  If you don't like coconut try rice flour or the flour mix you can find at the store.  

So the recipe?   First let me explain something.  I know you are supposed to cream the butter and sugar and eggs and yada, yada, yada.   I didn't.   I literally threw everything in a bowl and turned on the mixer.  It worked out just fine so you know, if you prefer to do things the right way, cream the butter, sugar, and eggs.  

Gluten free Peanut Butter Real Cookies

1 egg
1 cup Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1/2 cup real butter (soft)
3/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Mix above together and roll into balls.  Flatten with a fork.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove and cool.  Enjoy.   

Yields 24 big cookies or 48 small. (I made big ones)

Let me know what you think if you try them.   I am going to make some chocolate chip cookies next.  I am debating on how to make those sugar free as well so stay tuned for my efforts. 

2016: Secrets of Addiction and recovery or Learning to Live right

There wasn't a smile, trust me! 

Fitness and Food have always been a problem for me.    Somewhere back in time, I wrote a blog or two about my struggles.   Beats me where they are and looking back on some of the stuff in my blog makes me sad so let me give you the Cliff's Notes version:

*I have suffered from compulsive eating and bulimia since somewhere between birth and 16 years of age.   I don't really remember when it started, I just know it started.   I am 45 so let's just say I have struggled about 30 years of my life.  

*I don't know what a "Normal relationship with food" means.

*I tend to be just a little bit OCD when it comes to food and fitness.

*I go in funks that can last years.   I either am really on with my food and fitness or very, very off.  I have been off for about 3 years.   There are a ton of excuses for why I fell off the wagon 3 years ago: broken heart, work stress, life stress, friendship stress, but all they are is excuses.   For example, the broken heart part, well, since that broken heart 3 years ago I fell in love and got married.  You would think that would snap me out of it but no such luck.   

So what does that say about me?  I am a freaking mess, I suppose.   In the 2 1/2 years my husband has known me, I have never been "In my zone".   See, I get in a fitness zone and when I am in it, I am a demon.  My doctor has never seen anyone lose weight faster than I do.  Well, I did.  I have no idea if my 45 year old self can do it but my 40 year old self was a master at it.   Don't let me kid you, that is part of the bulimia too.  I have been known to workout for 2 hours a day and eat 800 calories while doing it, to be thin.   I am not proud, mind you, just honest.

Anyway, I digress.   I have slowly started to work myself back into working out.  There is a magic thing that happens to me when I workout and it has nothing to do with losing weight, well, it does but as a side effect.   When I work out, I eat healthier.   I figured out a long time ago, if I am going to work my bottom off and still eat M&M's then I might as well just not workout.  

So at the beginning of the year I decided to make slow changes, because for me, diving in head first can send me on a roller coaster of bulimic tendencies and I now have a 12 year old girl in the house, who, as most 12 year old girls do, feels like crap about her appearance half the time.   She brushes it off and plays tough, but she doesn't fool me and my obligation is to set an example so, I have started to make a few changes.

First, I started by eliminating the high calorie, fun flavored creamer that I put in my coffee.   I switched to almond/coconut milk and while not anywhere near as flavorful, it gets the job done.  I also cut out all candy and sweets.   I bake nothing sugary and I keep next to nothing in the house to tempt me.  (Full Disclosure: Somewhere up on the top shelf in the baking section of my pantry are chocolate chips.  The good kind.  The chocolate crack kind.  At least, I think there are.   I haven't moved all the stuff in front of them to check.)

Next, I started to narrow down what is causing me to have serious stomach pain about every freaking day of my life, or 5 days a week, whichever is shorter.   I have pretty much concluded after not eating gluten for several days then eating gluten on the last two Sundays, that gluten and I do not get along. (My husband makes the best buttermilk fried chicken in the world.  It is amazing and dipped in flour.  I tried really hard to stay away from it this weekend but it called me and I answered it's dang siren call.   Trust me I am paying for it today.) 

So I have switched to protein filled green smoothies about once a day and healthier veggie and meat based foods.  Sometimes I have them twice a day, which I am going to explain below.  

Now, here is the worst part, I had a surgery two years ago which should have helped me lose weight but because I am a sugar addict, it helped me lose 60 pounds before I realized I could still eat sugar and gained 30 back.   In other words, I failed at the "easy way out" too.   Let me tell you one thing about any type of surgery, it is not the easy way out of anything.   A side effect of the surgery I had is that when I eat too much, to this day I vomit.   Unfortunately, most sugar and calorie filled stuff doesn't require you to eat a bunch before you blow your whole day.   A second and really annoying side effect is that raw veggies make me sick about 90% of the time.   This means for me, eating salad with a chicken breast is a crap shoot.  I may be able to stomach it one night and the next day, it makes me sick.   This sucks because I am just weird enough to like raw veggies.   As I said above, I have added green smoothies into my diet.  What I have figured out about that is that when I put spinach in the smoothie, it doesn't  give me the digestive challenges that eating a cup of spinach can.   So, I make a smoothie with spinach and a banana and protein powder because my goal after having surgery is to get between 60 grams and 90 grams of protein a day.   That's a lot.   

The one positive about the surgery, the one thing it forced me to stop doing, which I have never been able to stop previously, is purging.   Maybe it is because the surgery causes you to purge at times but mostly I believe it is because, once I went through with the surgery, I just couldn't do that to my body anymore.  Making myself sick when I am already struggling with constant stomach problems, is just not an answer for me anymore.  

Okay, so in the end, what I am telling you is that I am a 45 year old, overweight woman with at least 2 eating disorders, gluten intolerance, an addiction to cigarettes which will probably kill me and I made 2016 a year for baby step changes to get me back on track for good.   So yes, I am working out and behind that smiley face above you will see an exhausted old lady.   I am working on cutting the literal fat out of my diet and even replacing my cigarettes with something good for me.  (I haven't figured that one out yet because Ecigs are not good for me either.)

Here are my weight and fitness goals for this year:

Weight: Lose 50 pounds.   I have lost 6 so far this year so only 44 more to go!  

Workouts:  At least 3 times a week until I have a good base built up then 5 days a week.  With my ultimate goal to be back on my mountain bike by my 46 birthday.  That is in August if you are keeping track I have just under 6 months to get there. 

Quit smoking......TBD.

Plan:

Food: I have started keeping track of my food (most days) on one of those on-line calorie tracker things.  I forget on the weekends mostly.

Fitness:  I am going to be working out at home.  I use to go to the gym right after work.  I use to also be single and not have anyone else at home to answer to.  Now, just to be able to tell my husband: I am working out now, when I get  home, sometimes takes effort.  The minute I walk in the door, a to-do list hits me in the face.   I am working on getting all three of us used to the idea that when I get home, I am changing cloths and working out.  

 Years ago, I learned to take a 12 step approach to eating disorders and take it one day at a time.   Today I wanted pizza, gluten free pizza but pizza.  Instead I had a salad (and yes it gave me an upset tummy) and I feel like I did right.  I told myself, just for today, just for lunch, I will make the right decision.   This is what I am working on right now, telling myself, just for today I will eat right and workout.   If I take it as a daily challenge instead of getting fixated on the big picture, I am hoping to finally get into a life long habit.

Oh, happy Monday people!   Happy Presidents Day.