After a ‘whirlwind of a sandwich odyssey’ in Iowa, JayJay Goodvin, chief explorer of the Iowa Gallivant, revealed his favorite tenderloin from his 99-county tour.
Just over 10 months ago, Goodvin started a quest to eat a tenderloin in all 99 counties in Iowa. With more than 28 million views of his videos across his social media platforms, the response to his journey left him speechless.
After thoughtful analysis and some soul-searching, Goodvin announced the winner to a live WHO 13 News audience on Feb. 13. The winning tenderloin was served by The Landmark Bistro of Grundy Center, Iowa.
What set this tasty tenderloin apart from the other 98?
“It was a beautiful tenderloin – they really did a great job with the mustard,” Goodvin says. “It was bigger than your compact tenderloin, but it wasn’t huge. The breading was crunchy, but didn’t overpower the flavor of the pork, which was very important. They had great seasoning in that breading.”
Most importantly the staff did a great job, he points out. They were busy, but they got the food out expeditiously. Most importantly, it was served scorching hot.
“It doesn’t matter what style of pork tenderloin you like, it’s got to come out scorching hot,” Goodvin told Farm Journal’s PORK in an earlier interview. “Whether you like them thin, thick, breaded, battered, small or huge elephant ears, it must come out hot. After that, it’s all up to the consumer on what style is their favorite.”
He notes there is a wide spectrum of tenderloins available.
“There is more variety than people realize,” he says. “You can get them battered, broiled, breaded, even served with a wheelbarrow of gravy over mashed potatoes on it.”
Where is the Iowa Gallivant off to next? He says he is starting a project called “99 Specials.” He will be going throughout the entire state of Iowa trying a “special” in every county. He’s hopeful he’ll be able to find 99 different specials from ham balls to hot beef sandwiches and everything in between.
Your Next Read: Mission Complete: Iowa Man Eats a Pork Tenderloin in All 99 Iowa Counties
