Name: Southern Style Fried Pork Tenderloin
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 Package Pork Tenderloin (2 whole pieces); 2 Tablespoon Hot Sauce (I use Franks); 2 Cups Milk (Use enough to cover tenderloin); 2 Cups Flour (I always use too much - enough to dredge everything); 2 Teaspoons Salt; 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper; 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder; 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder; 2 Teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (Tony's or Emeril's); 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper (Be careful with this!); Cooking Oil (I use Canola, but any frying oil should do)

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It’s Christmas morning, and that means it’s time to break out our family favorite – Fried Pork Tenderloin! Definitely not health food, but it’s a real comfort food treat. Slap one of these in a biscuit and you have heaven right there!

Southern Style Fried Pork Tenderloin

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Resting Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Southern

Ingredients

Pork

1 Package Pork Tenderloin 2 whole pieces
2 Tablespoon Hot Sauce I use Franks
2 Cups Milk Use enough to cover tenderloin

Breading

2 Cups Flour I always use too much – enough to dredge everything
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons Cajun Seasoning Tony's or Emeril's
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper Be careful with this!

Cooking

Cooking Oil I use Canola, but any frying oil should do

Instructions

1. First things first, open the pack of tenderloin and rinse it thoroughly. Pat it dry to ensure there’s no excess moisture.
2. Next, we butterfly the pieces. To do this, you make a cut across the meat most of the way through, and then a second cut to remove it from the main piece. I like to make the cuts 1/2″ apart…my wife likes it thicker, and I like it thinner, so I vary a few pieces to make us both happy
3. Place the pieces in a bowl and add the hot sauce, then the milk and stir to mix together. Place this in the fridge to allow the flavors to mesh.
4. While the meat it “meshing”, add the flour and spices to a pan and mix thoroughly. the mixture should have a slight taste of the spices…too little and the end result will be bland…to much and it will be too spicy…you just need to be able to taste it against the flour.
5. One by one, add the pieces into the flour – be sure to press down to both thin out the pieces, and ensure that their evenly coated. Put aside and do the next. I do the entire batch and place at one end of my flour tray.
6. Heat about an inch of oil on Medium High, and wait for it to get nice and hot. I use a 12″ frying pan, and can do about 3 pieces at a time. I use this time to get my biscuits ready…
7. Cook until a nice golden brown and rest on a pane with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
8. If you flour them all ahead of time, you will need to dredge some of the later ones again…this is normal, and makes them a little crunchier at the end.

Notes

Leftovers are good right out of fridge for me, but can also be heated up for a quick breakfast later in the week.

There’s a restaurant in Greensboro, NC that butterflies an entire tenderloin in 1 piece and makes a killer sandwich, using a similar method – it’s heaven on a bun!

Happy cooking!

Keyword Breakfast, Pork Tenderloin

Leftovers are good right out of fridge for me, but can also ne heated up for a quick breakfast later in the week.