Tenderloin Throwdown in Greensburg, July 19

Logo provided by Visit Decatur County, Inc. and used with written permission.

By Bob Burchfield, Editor
AroundIndy.com, LLC
http://aroundindy.com/Decaturco.php

Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time is surely aware that if you want to get my attention quickly, just mention that great Hoosier classic: the breaded pork tenderloin (BPT). Melanie Maxwell, Executive Director of Decatur County Tourism in Greensburg, is one individual who knows this.

So she got my attention quickly recently with the announcement that Main Street Greensburg and Visit Decatur County, Inc. will host the inaugural Tenderloin Throwdown competition on Saturday, July 19, 2014, to determine who makes the best tenderloin in the state of Indiana. WHOA!

Why didn’t somebody think of this before? I’ve heard of all kinds of burger competitions. In fact, I attended a great one last summer at Family Leisure judged by George Hill from the Indiana Pacers and Anthony Castonzo from the Indianapolis Colts, among others. Someone is always trying to outdo the competition when it comes to making a great burger. Same goes for chili cookoffs, BBQ competitions, pie wars at the City Market recently, and so forth. But have you ever heard of a tenderloin competition? That would be news to me and lots of others, even though it’s been dubbed the state sandwich of Indiana (I don’t think that’s official, but it might as well be).

A pan of homemade pork tenderloins
at the Burchfield residence.

So this is kind of exciting. Why? Well…I make a pretty mean BPT, if I do say so myself. And it appears that this competition is open to both professional chefs as well as amateur cooks like me. I’m getting kind of enthusiastic about entering this contest, to tell you the truth. I don’t know if I can match the culinary talents of some of the professional chefs in Indiana, but I know how to make a darn good tenderloin. I’m hopeful that they might divide the competition into two classes, one for chefs and one for amateurs. I wouldn’t mind taking a shot at the amateur title.

The official announcement arrived in my inbox yesterday:

“Do you claim to have the best pork tenderloin sandwich in Indiana? Prove it! Join us in Downtown Greensburg, Indiana on July 19, 2014 for the Inaugural Tenderloin Throwdown.  Each participating team will line up around the Decatur County Courthouse, cook their famed sandwich and enter their creation to win in one or more of the following categories: Best Breaded Tenderloin, Best Grilled Tenderloin, Most Creative Tenderloin and People’s Choice. Winners will receive a prize package and more importantly, bragging rights. Come show us your loins!

“The Tenderloin Throwdown will be made possible with the support of Mainstreet Greensburg. Registration is $50 for Decatur County participants and $75 for out-of-county participants. All participants must apply for a temporary food service permit from the Decatur County Health Department ($15).”

You know what? This could be a big deal for the victor. Can you imagine winning the competition and owning the bragging rights that go with that? The right to say that you make the best tenderloin in Indiana in a state known for its great tenderloins! That would be pretty cool for either a professional chef, restaurateur, or amateur cook.

So I might just do some tinkering with my recipe to see if I can think of a way to add more flavor and taste to my tenderloins and put them over the top in this competition. Lots of places and people claim to make the best tenderloin in Indiana. This is an opportunity to put up or shut up.

In the meantime, for entry forms and additional information contact Staci Schutte or Elizabeth Nobbe with Mainstreet Greensburg at 812-222-0037. Or email execdirector@mainstreetgreensburg.com.

Breaded Tenderloin at the Tie Dye Grill in Indianapolis.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2012, all rights reserved.

Breaded Tenderloin, Gas Light Inn in Indianapolis.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2011, all rights reserved.

Breaded Tenderloin at Storie’s Restaurant in Greensburg.
(Across the street from the site of this competition, no less!)
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2012, all rights reserved.