Grilled pork tenderloin sandwiches, marinated and then grilled and topped with cheese, grilled onion, BBQ sauce and pickles
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
I seldom make pork tenderloin, not because I don't like it, I just prefer chops, ribs, pulled pork, etc... tenderloin, not so much. I recently made an herb crusted pork roast and I had some leftover tenderloins in the freezer. For a change of pace from burgers and chicken, I made grilled pork tenderloin sandwiches. Wow, so good, I could eat pork tenderloin much more often like this.
Tenderloins are long and skinny. I cut two tenderloins into 2 to 3-inch pieces each, then pounded each piece into a "steak". When pounding, you want to set the tenderloin piece on its side so the cut side is facing up. How thin you pound it is up to you, mine were maybe a half inch thick. I ended up using two grilled tenderloin pieces per sandwich.
I don't think pork tenderloin is all that flavorful, so I marinated the tenderloins in Italian dressing. That's something I learned many years ago when my husband worked on the pork account, remember "Pork. The Other White Meat"? I really like marinating it this way and I just used a robust bottled Italian dressing, so easy.
I like torta rolls or ciabatta rolls (same thing?) for this sandwich. Split and toast them lightly on the grill. And for toppings, almost anything works, but I used provolone cheese, grilled red onion, barbecue sauce and pickles. The inspiration for that combo of toppings comes from the Palms Grill in Atlanta, Illinois, along the famed Route 66.
Next time you have a hankering for a burger or grilled chicken sandwich, try these grilled pork tenderloin sandwiches instead. They are so good, I think you'll really like them. ~ Kelly
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Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork tenderloin (2 tenderloins)
- ¾ cup Italian dressing
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 torta or ciabatta rolls, split
- BBQ sauce
- Dill pickle chips
Instructions
- Cut each tenderloin into 2-3 inch pieces. Set each piece upright so cut side faces up. Pound each piece into an approximate ½-inch steak. Arrange in a glass baking dish and cover with Italian dressing, coat each piece well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
- Heat grill. Remove tenderloins from marinade to a plate. Slice onion and lightly drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Have rolls split and ready to grill.
- Grill pork until done, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. At the same time, grill red onions, flipping once until just lightly grilled. Place slice of provolone over two pieces of pork (or one piece of pork, depending on size) and close grill to melt. Remove to platter along with onions. Place split rolls on grill and toast lightly.
- To assemble, place pork tenderloin piece(s) on bottom half roll, topped with some grilled onion, BBQ sauce and pickles. Top with other half of roll. Slice in half and serve. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Mark Wildenhaus
Monday 23rd of May 2016
It tastes as good as it looks!