I Ate America On A Bun: Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Weird Tenderloin Sandwich

"Stef Schrader" (stefschrader)
07/23/2016 at 14:55 • Filed to: Foodlopnik, tenderloin, track food, Indianapolis 500, Indy 500, IndyCar, Indiana

Back when I asked !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! from this year’s Indianapolis 500, one of you suggested “the strangest food you can find.” Problem is, Indiana is so middle-America that it’s geographically in the middle of America, so a deep-fried pork tenderloin on a bun is about as weird as it gets.

I ate a sandwich.

Burgers. Sausages. Fries. Big turkey legs. Everywhere you go at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, you’ll much of the same stadium food you’ll find across the country. In other words, there weren’t any particularly exotic food stands.

There was one additional, less familiar listing on most stands: “tenderloin.” My friend who used to work for one of the local Indianapolis TV stations also recommended the tenderloin, so I figured why not? It must be some kind of local delicacy.

It’s perhaps the perfect foodstuff to represent where we were staying and how we had to get to the track every day. We got stuck in Bloomington because we waited too long to book a hotel, and it reminded me of Pennsyltucky without the charm. The roads were rutted, like thar be buggies , but the road in to IMS was as dull as it got, lacking the gentle, flowing curves of Regular Car Reviews country. Four lanes, under construction, limited to 45 mph despite the crews having packed it in for the day.

These roads put me to sleep whenever I wasn’t trying to crank out work on the wifi connection in Kurt’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and were excruciatingly dull to drive when I had to take my hopelessly uncomfortable rental Rogue back to fly out of Indianapolis.

This part of Indiana was unmistakably American, full of rusty trucks and rolling farm land, but perhaps in its least exciting way—not unlike American cheese or a Pontiac G6. Of course its most famous racing venue would be represented to the foodie world by something deep-fried on a bun.

So, I found a break on Legends Day and stood in line for a tenderloin sandwich. It wasn’t exactly cheap—around $9 for just the sandwich, if I remember correctly—but you’re a bit of a captive audience here.

At the heart of the sandwich is a pork tenderloin that’s been hammered flat like a chicken fried steak or a wienerschnitzel, then deep fried to a golden brown. This was a relatively small version with a thinner tenderloin than some of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but the tenderloin itself still stuck out around the bun.

Crowning the big, wide piece of meat was a slice of pepper jack cheese, pickled giardiniera vegetables and a few squirts of dijon mustard. It was served open-faced for you to assemble between two soft, yellow-hued buns.

Normally, the tenderloin sandwich also comes with bacon, but I am the one (okay, maybe the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) person on the Internet who doesn’t get super enthusiastic about bacon über alles . Don’t give me that look; that’s more for you. Deep-fried tenderloin is salty and porky in its own right, and adding bacon on top of that just sounded unappetizing on a muggy day. For bacon fans who revel in pork overkill, the sandwich as-is is probably your jam.

Like any fine racing machine at IMS, my sandwich also needed to be well-lubricated. That meant tracking down mayonnaise. Sure, the sandwich comes with dijon mustard, but the few squirts of dijon in the middle weren’t enough, and they also weren’t mayonnaise.

Unfortunately, the condiment station outside the food stand had no mayo. I guess I should have asked for the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! with my order, but luckily, I was able to acquire a spare packet in the media room. Operation: Stef Eats A Sandwich was a go.

The first few bites of the sandwich’s outer edge are all tenderloin, however, the best bites were at the very center. The fluffy yellow bun was a perfect match for the crisp tenderloin. The “giardiniera” was primarily pickled onions and jalapeños, which are the best pickled vegetables, anyway. The centermost nibbles that combined cheese, pork, bun, pickled veggies and condiments were all that is right with sandwich.

The verdict? The IMS tenderloin is pretty tasty. If you forgot to pack in a lunch at Indy and need a quick, pricey snack, it ain’t bad.

Just be prepared to revisit the subject of the tenderloin sandwich in a few hours. It’s track food, therefore, you will emit Volkswagen turbodiesel levels of foul emissions. The upside is that you’re at an event that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , so trust me, you won’t be the only person crop-dusting the speedway.

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DISCUSSION (44)

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 15:01

*fistbump for also thinking bacon kinda sucks*

Cé hé sin > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 15:02

“It’s track food, therefore, you will emit Volkswagen turbodiesel levels of foul emissions.”

Er, thank you, ma’am, for that somewhat excessive information.

Leon711 > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 15:02

Mayo? Nah Stef. You better not put mayo on your chips, or I’d accuse you of being Belgian.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 15:05

That is making my hungry.

Curses to the fact that I just had my wisdom teeth pulled. I’ve had no solid food since Wednesday and probably won’t for a few more days. But damn that’s a tasty looking sandwich.

Stef Schrader > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 15:08

I do and it’s delicious!

Stef Schrader > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/23/2016 at 15:08

I suppose the tang of the vegetables would still come out if it was all put into a blender. Pork smoothies for err’one!

Leon711 > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 15:11

Well, I guess I set myself up for this then.

Are you Belgian or something?

#Ketchup4LyfExceptSometimesBBQSauceUnlessItsAFancyPlaceWithSomeKindOfWeirdChutney

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 15:12

I’m sorry.. NINE bloody dollaroes? For an average size burger? Man.. I thought food was cheap in the US.

Also, mayo is the best :)

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 15:13

Dude, mayo on chips is AAAAHHHMAZING.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Cé hé sin
07/23/2016 at 15:15

Mate, it’s Stef. Her farts smells like flowers/Unicorn poop/Rainbows.

Leon711 > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
07/23/2016 at 15:17

I know that you are Norwegian, but are you some kind of Belgian?

Side note, does everyone go on holiday this time of year in Norway?

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 15:20

I’ve got a few mates from Belgium.. other than that, nah I’m not Belgian.

And yup, most Norwegians go on a holiday about this time of year, makes sense right, the time we got really nice weather in Norway we all go abroad on a holiday (just norwegian things).

Leon711 > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
07/23/2016 at 15:28

I have a Norwegian supplier on one of my projects (I work in Oil and Gas) and I haven’t been able to get anything from them for weeks. I’m not complaining, they are great to deal with, but it causes our French clients upset.

The holidays thing is a big plus on the idea of living in Norway, but I can’t speak Norwegian.

smobgirl > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 15:31

I’m american, but some Swedish guys owned an electronics business (or something like that) in our old office building. They would just shut down for 6-8 weeks in summer. No idea how they pulled it off here.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 15:34

Well.. you’ve got to learn norwegian then mate :) Not that hard really. Roll the r’s and complain about the weather a lot.

But seriously, Norwegian is probably up there with Farsi or Polish, hard to learn at first, but when you get the basics it’s quite simple. Besides, most norwegians are more or less fluent in English, and most of us speak French, Spanish or German to some degree as well.

Leon711 > smobgirl
07/23/2016 at 15:37

It happens a lot in mainland Europe, but I’ve never heard of it happening in the UK.

If I was more keen on fish I’d consider moving to a Scandinavian country.

Leon711 > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
07/23/2016 at 15:43

The difference is that in Norway (and the rest of the European continent) you are usually learning another language from a very young age, in the UK that aspect is really lacking. I learnt french from age 9-11 then Spanish from 12-14 but it wasn’t taught well enough to be fluent in either and it’s similar everywhere here and I consider it a fundamental flaw in our education system. It makes it more difficult to move to another country to work.

I’m re-learning Spanish now as it was stronger than my french and a couple of guys at work are native Spanish speakers but I do feel that British children are being let down by the education system in that regard.

Birddog > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 15:44

That is a very popular thing in Iowa. Almost any Bar that serves Burgers has a Tenderloin on the menu.

Its not something I think of ordering until fall or winter. On a hot muggy day it’s a little much.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 15:56

I had English as a secondary language from the age 8 - 18. German as a tertiary language from the age of 13 - 15. I know I’m not by any means fluent in English and even less so German. But hey, we can have a conversation between the two of us without me having any problems telling you what I mean or vice versa.

But sure, the British educationary system does leave something to be desired doesn’t it

For Sweden > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 16:05

Kinja'd!!!

When Jalopnik is work but Skillet is life

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
07/23/2016 at 16:06

Generally food is cheap in the US. Outside of big cities especially.

Unless you are at a venue with concessions. Then prepare your wallet and anus. Money goes out your wallet. And you will relive your meal in excruciating painful detail later.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
07/23/2016 at 16:08

Sure.. but... 9 bucks for that? Man..

jimz > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 16:19

would eat. do the same thing but with panko breading, you’ve got tonkatsu. good with Japanese-style curry sauce.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 16:30

No need to miss your pork tenderloin sandwich. Pork Chop John’s in Butte Montana does on-line ordering for your convenience. They have a 50 count minimum so you better like them.

http://www.porkchopjohns.com/wholesale.htm

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
07/23/2016 at 16:41

Captive (literally) market.

redheadedburnout > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 16:45

This is quality Stef journalism right here! I could really sense your disappointment and desperation for mayonnaise there. I had a momentary crisis wondering if I still had some.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Stef Schrader
07/23/2016 at 17:21

You should say hi to Dusick if you see him. He’s through the Media Center on occasion.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 17:22

Don’t sweat the frogs, they’ll be gone for a month at the end of next week.

Clown Shoe Pilot > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/23/2016 at 17:24

Power through it! I had a bacon cheeseburger 2 days after I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled. I was just sick of foods I could suck through a straw.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Clown Shoe Pilot
07/23/2016 at 17:29

I’m on to eating pasta and eggs and other soft things, so we’ll see.

Leon711 > Clown Shoe Pilot
07/23/2016 at 17:46

Explains why they are chewing my ass then.

Stef Schrader > Leon711
07/23/2016 at 20:56

Nah.

(FWIW, curry ketchup needs to be more common, too. And poutine. Both of those.)

Stef Schrader > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
07/23/2016 at 23:51

Then prepare your wallet and anus.

No truer description of concession stands has ever been spoken.

Stef Schrader > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
07/23/2016 at 23:51

Maybe if the roses and unicorns are rotting... ;o)

Stef Schrader > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/23/2016 at 23:52

Hmmm, I don’t think I liked it that much.

Dairy Queen here serves a similar-style concoction: the Dude. Chicken-fried steak on a burger. The bun and toppings aren’t as fancy, but dadgummit, it’s good in a pinch.

Stef Schrader > Clown Shoe Pilot
07/23/2016 at 23:59

I’m in Austin this weekend. Womp womp wooooooomp. Googled him, though—holy crap, he’s got a story!

Stef Schrader > redheadedburnout
07/24/2016 at 00:08

It was a search! I was like, how could IMS not have the best condiment ever? I’m guessing the having mayo in a squirt-pump didn’t jive with a warm, humid May day. I mean, I had to ask the person cleaning up the lunch counter in the media building if they had a random packet back in the kitchen. Fortunately, she delivered.

It was almost worse than when I went on a trip in Canada, had eggs for breakfast, and could ***not*** even find plain ol’ Tabasco. Lovely spread, but I guess hot sauce on eggs is an American thing? There was ketchup! But no hot sauce. I...nah on the ketchup. Just nah. I know ketchup on eggs is A Thing, and hey, whatever floats your goat, but I don’t have to like or understand it. Pass the Crystal, or Tabasco, or Evangeline, or something with peppers and vinegar in it. Actually, Yellowbird is my recent favorite—a thicker, orange Habanero sauce, not unlike the spiciest one from Tacodeli. But I digress. Eggs are a fluffy, wonderful vehicle for hot sauce to enter my mouth.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Stef Schrader
07/24/2016 at 02:23

indeed he does. hell of a guy too.

Leon711 > Stef Schrader
07/24/2016 at 03:29

Are you familiar with “Curry Sauce” Available from Fish and Chip shops? These places typically don’t make curry (so where do they get the sauce?) but the sauce is quite sweet and of course tastes like curry. It’s quite common in the UK but I don’t imagine that it is elsewhere.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Leon711
07/24/2016 at 08:15

There can never be enough mayo!

Leon711 > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
07/24/2016 at 08:59

France is very close to Belgium. I’m on to you, secret Belgian! :)

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Leon711
07/24/2016 at 09:07

I am Belgian, actually. ;)

Leon711 > Out, but with a W - has found the answer
07/24/2016 at 09:10

:O explains the love of Mayo!

Stef Schrader > Leon711
07/25/2016 at 19:40

Ooh, I’ve never had that before!

Do want. Would try.