From that first crunchy, juicy bite – the bite that probably won’t even take you all the way to the bun – you know the pork tenderloin sandwich is distinctly Indiana.
“Like the Indianapolis 500 or all the IU championships, there are certain things that people relate with Indiana. And I think the breaded tenderloin is one of those,” tenderloin connoisseur Rick Garrett told Earth Eats in 2014 (the segment begins with 10:57 left on the web player).
That’s why the folks at NUVO are bringing back its Indy Tenderloin Week for seconds since its debut in 2016. It’s one of six food weeks this year, and the alt-weekly publication hopes to fill plenty of stomachs and raise some money for a good cause.
Diners around Indianapolis have over 30 associated restaurants to choose from, where they can get that establishment’s spin on the classic sandwich for a mere $5.
While that sounds like a steal, it’s set to bring in plenty for Second Helpings, NUVO’s charity partner for all six food weeks in 2018. Their operation is twofold: they accept donated food from grocery stores, wholesalers and restaurants and transform it into meals for those in need as a way of reducing food waste; and they offer free culinary training to unemployed and underemployed adults in Indiana.
Second Helpings Communications and Marketing Manager Rob Peoni told Digital 1229 that since the organization started 20 years ago, they’ve rescued more than 30 million pounds of food and delivered more than 11.5 million meals. Now, they rescue approximately 2.5 million pounds of food and make over 1 million meals a year.
On top of that, 778 graduates have completed Second Helpings’ training course at the time of publication.
“Beyond the culinary training,” Peoni said, “each student receives financial literacy training…resume and job interview training…conflict resolution and team building skills. This is truly a job training program.”
As a partner of Indy Tenderloin Week, 20 percent of all sponsorships and registration fees paid by restaurants to participate go directly to Second Helpings.
“It’s our hope that these events help bring attention to Second Helpings and the different work they do in Indianapolis,” said Caitlin Bartnik. Bartnik has worked closely on the Indy Food Weeks for NUVO.
“It was harder to get restaurants on board the first year,” Bartnik said. “Since then, we’ve seen huge crowds for Indy Food Weeks, including restaurants selling out.”
Both Bartnik and her team member on Indy Food Weeks, Brian Weiss, said the support for the events has been overwhelming.
Where will you be enjoying a $5 tenderloin? https://t.co/GTrUKQFLEo pic.twitter.com/qMer0yoHDp
— Indy Food Weeks (@IndyFoodWeeks) April 18, 2018
“It’s awesome seeing how people use these events to reconnect with friends, family and co-workers for a fun meal out and as an opportunity to try new places,” Bartnik said.
Since its inception in Huntington, IN, as a variation on weiner schnitzel, the tenderloin sandwich has taken many forms; but it hasn’t ventured too far from the classic construction. You’ll have a chance to try recipes all across Indianapolis yourself (Bartnik said she has to make stops at Shoefly and The Ram) when Indy Tenderloin Week kicks off April 23 and goes until April 29.
As Samantha Weiss Hills of Eater put it poetically, “Some say [the tenderloin sandwich is] exactly like the people in Indiana: simple, not too showy, sometimes a little too big for its britches. Above all, it’s familiar and reliable…it’s home.”
