Iowa’s Best Breaded Tenderloin!

    HARLAN -- Victoria Station in Harlan has won the 19th annual contest for Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin 2021, presented by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) and managed by its restaurant and food service committee.
    “That’s pretty good for a prime rib joint,” joked Richard Buman, who bought the restaurant 18 months ago with his wife, Angela.  “We are so excited just to have been nominated and to advance into the top 40.
    “We never dreamt we’d make it all the way to the top, especially in our first-ever foray into the food contest area.  It’s humbling to say the least.”
    Larsen’s Pub, Elk Horn, which holds the 2007 title, is this year’s runner-up.
    When the Bumans took over Victoria Station, they “inherited” a tenderloin being served at the time. And while there was “nothing wrong it,” Richard Buman said, they decided to make the sandwich their own.
    Each hand-cut, eight-ounce loin is tenderized three times, then coated in a blend of dry seasonings and marinated for at least an hour. The meat is dipped in a buttermilk breading and fried to order.
    Sandwiches are served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. The Bumans recommend eating the tenderloin with their house-made garlic aioli and Texas toast, though the traditional mustard and burger bun are available.
    “For the aioli, we use the garlic that we roast ourselves for the prime rib,” Richard Buman said. “In my opinion, that really makes the sandwich stand out.”
    Tenderloins can also be ordered “buffalo style,” tossed in a cayenne pepper sauce.

Full article in the Tribune.