Imagine you are out to eat at a local restaurant and see a sandwich on the menu that you’ve never tried before, normally described as a hand-breaded, thin-pounded pork tenderloin, fried crisp on a bun and usually served with pickles, mayo, and lemon wedges.
Sounds pretty great, right? So, you order it expecting it to be a normal sized sandwich, but what comes is a fried crispy pork tenderloin almost the size of the plate with a regular sized bun.
This unusual sandwich is gearing up to possibly become the state sandwich of Indiana.
The Indiana House of Representatives introduced bill IN SB0021 which “designates the breaded tenderloin sandwich as the official state sandwich of Indiana,” and is waiting to be passed through the senate to be named the state sandwich. Even though this isn’t a popular sandwich in this area, it is popular in mid and southern Indiana.
Griffith seventh grade LRE teacher, Matt Bliss who grew up in East Central, Indiana (an area where the sandwich is popular), said “if Indiana adopted a sandwich, absolutely. I can’t think of another sandwich that would suffice.”
The pork tenderloin sandwich was originally inspired by wiener schnitzel, traditionally an Austrian dish that is usually accompanied by lemon wedges and parsley potatoes or salad.
Between 1904-1908, the wiener schnitzel was adapted by a German immigrant named Nick Freienstein at “Nick’s Kitchen” in Huntington, Indiana.
Today, the sandwich has made an impact on many people in Griffith’s community, especially since the local restaurant New Oberpfalz on Broad Street has its very own pork tenderloin sandwich and is a part of the breaded pork tenderloin trail that winds throughout Indiana.
Digital Curriculum and Assessment Facilitator at Griffith High School, Cindy Leber, who grew up in an area of Indiana where the pork tenderloin sandwich was popular, said “It’s a tasty sandwich. I think my husband enjoyed a great one at New Oberpfalz here in town last fall.”
If this bill does get passed within the next session, there is a possibility of more restaurants serving this sandwich and an increase in tourism of Indiana.
