When JayJay Goodvin revealed his quest to eat a pork tenderloin in all 99 Iowa counties, there were certainly a lot of people asking the question: Is he for real?
“I focused on pork tenderloins because it’s probably the most popular sandwich in Iowa,” says Goodvin, who serves as the chief explorer of the Iowa Gallivant. “I knew it was going to be huge, but I didn’t realize it was going to be this huge. It took off from video one. People were like, ‘Holy crap, this guy is doing it.’”
Since starting his tenderloin tour 10 months ago, Goodvin’s videos have accumulated more than 28 million views across his social media platforms.
@jayjaygallivant The Firehouse Saloon in Eldora, Iowa was our Hardin County Pork Tenderloin and we are now officially 2/3 of the way done with our 99 county quest! This tendy was their spicy choice and I welcomed the slow burn. 66 Iowa counties down and 33 to go! #99porktenderloins #iowa #midwest #spicy ♬ original sound - JayJayGallivant
“I made a tentative list of where we were going to go, but my list probably changed 50 times because we let the locals guide us. The locals very rarely steer you in the wrong direction,” Goodvin says. “We paid attention to the comments. Every single time we put up a pork tenderloin, there were always comments with other places we should go. The engagement was unbelievable.”
Who’s Got the Best Pork Tenderloin?
On Feb. 13, he will announce his favorite tenderloin from the 99 counties he visited. From his first pork tenderloin in April from Baxa’s Sutliff Store & Tavern in Sutliff in Johnson County to his last tenderloin at Smoke N Firehouse No. 20 in Ringsted in northwest Iowa’s Emmet County on Jan. 19, it’s been an experience he’ll always remember.
“My biggest takeaway from this is there’s great restaurants all over the place. I can’t tell you how many off-the-beaten-path places we went to,” he says. “You don’t have to go to the major cities, even though they have great restaurants, to find amazing food. People are discovering how great small towns can be when it comes to the culinary scene.”
Goodvin’s tour has also been a way for people to learn where pork tenderloins are sold in their area. Some restaurants even added pork tenderloins to their menu because of the popularity of this quest.
“I guarantee there are people around the country going to their favorite haunts and saying, ‘Hey, have you ever heard of this sandwich because it’s really good?’ I know we’re helping the industry bring awareness to the pork tenderloin,” he says.
People from Illinois and Missouri chimed in a lot on the blog, arguing there are better tenderloins in their states. However, Goodvin says those who call Indiana home were the most frequent to chime in.
“They’ve pushed to have the pork tenderloin be their official state sandwich,” Goodvin says. “Now, all of a sudden, here’s this guy going around Iowa eating tenderloins. It’s supposed to be an Indiana thing, right? I loved it and we got tons of people from Indiana that were like, ‘What’s going on here?’”
Although he can’t share too many details yet from his travels about what makes a great pork tenderloin, he did share one requirement. It has to be hot.
“It doesn’t matter what style of pork tenderloin you like, it’s got to come out scorching hot,” Goodvin says. “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.”
@jayjaygallivant Just hitting the club…..Sandwich! Shakespeare’s Pub & Grill in Iowa City, Iowa has this turkey, ham, bacon, Swiss and cheddar packed sandwich ready for anyone who wants to risk lockjaw. Look at those moves! #iowa #sandwich #iowacity ♬ In A Club - Volac & illusionize & Andre Longo
Expert Qualifications
What makes someone qualified for a quest of this nature?
1. He’s a native.
Born in Marshalltown, Goodvin grew up in Marion and Iowa City, but his heart was always tied to agriculture. His mom is from northwest Iowa and his dad is from southwest Iowa.
“My mom’s dad had a meat locker. I always say my grandfather is my inspiration subconsciously,” Goodvin says. “My dad’s parents owned a farm in Adams County. Doing this work around rural Iowa always makes me feel like I’m coming home. All the sounds, smells and glimpses at what people are saying bring back memories of growing up in rural Iowa. That’s one of the reasons why I do this – I feel like I’m carrying on their legacy a little bit too.”
2. He’s a traveler.
Goodvin left Iowa in the late 90s and traveled around the country for over 10 years. He lived in the Sonoran Desert in Wickenburg, Ariz.; the Crazy Mountains in Livingston, Mont.; Cape Cod, Mass., the Florida Keys; the Black Hills of South Dakota; Austin, Texas; and Ottawa, Ill., before heading back home to Iowa.
3. He’s a chef.
“I was going to go to culinary school, but then I realized I was learning just as much on the road working in the trenches under really great chefs,” Goodvin says.
4. He’s a writer.
About 10 years ago, Goodvin started a WordPress blog – The Iowa Gallivant – as a family scrapbooking project to capture the summer with his family. One day, he clicked on the stats button and discovered they were getting tens of thousands of views on their family’s travel blog.
“I knew we were on to something – especially when it comes to small-town Iowa and small-town America for that matter. It evolved into a travel blog, which we still maintain. Then it grew to a social media personality, to promoter, and I do all sorts of stuff. I would say I’m more of a professional traveler now who has a travel blog.”
He says the focus of his blog is the splendor of travel. This has led to the publishing of his first book, “Rural Iowa Sausage,” a history book on Iowa meat lockers and shops.
5. He’s a promoter.
The popularity of The Iowa Gallivant has led to work gigs with several organizations and businesses, including Silos and Smokestacks, National Heritage Area, Western Iowa Tourism, Iowa Irish Fest, Do More on 34 and more.
In addition to the tenderloin tour, he’s done other series, including Best Between Bread, Hometown Tacos and Iowa’s Wurst Road Trip, casing the state for the best sausage.
“People recognize us a lot. I was at a meat locker in Clarksville, Iowa, and some guy recognized me,” he laughs. “We went to the state fair, and I thought I should have been running for office because there were people from all over the state wanting pictures.”
He’s not surprised by the support the tenderloin tour has received in Iowa and beyond.
@jayjaygallivant Ambro’s Roadhouse in De Soto, Iowa is where you’ll find this Pork Tenderloin and these entertaining locals in Dallas County! And you gotta order those fried cheese curds, folks. 64 Iowa counties down and 35 to go! #99porktenderloins #iowa #sandwich #smalltown ♬ original sound - JayJayGallivant
“Nobody moves social media content better than small-town America. For some of the communities we visited, it’s the first they’ve seen of their community in this kind of light,” he says. “I tell folks all the time you cannot spell routine without rut. You need a break from your routine every now and then, so get out and explore — and eat a pork tenderloin while you’re at it.”
The Iowa Gallivant Facebook account has more than 71,000 followers, and the Instagram and TikTok accounts have a combined follower count of 38,300.
