(Manning) Iowa’s 2023 Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin is in the Carroll County City of Manning. The Iowa Pork Producers presented the 21st annual award to Cliff’s Place on Thursday.
A Cliff’s Place tenderloin starts with six ounces of pork, sliced from a never-frozen boneless loin and tenderized to achieve the desired texture and thickness. Hand-breaded to order, the meat is dredged through a mixture of flour and Flavor-Crisp’s “Chick on the Run” Find Grind seasoned breading, dipped in buttermilk, and coated a second time in the dry flour before deep fried to a golden brown.
“We don’t glorify anything on it,” said Jim Waterbury, who owns the nearly 50-year-old restaurant with his brother Jon. “It’s all about the pork we want you to taste.”
The $6.00 sandwich is served with pickles on a Rotella’s Italian Bakery bun and halved for easier handling. Lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, and cheese can be added for a slight upcharge.
“The breading just complimented the pork so well, and the tenderloin didn’t overwhelm the bun,” said Chef Phil Carey, a tenderloin finalist judge. “It was a perfect combination, juicy to the final bite, and a very enjoyable sandwich.”
Cliff’s typically serves about 70 tenderloins a week. When Jon Waterbury learned the restaurant had claimed the title, he joked, “I’ll sharpen my knife,” in preparation for an uptick in orders. According to the Iowa Pork Producers, winning restaurants have reported selling five to ten times more sandwiches for at least a month following the announcement.
The Iowa Pork Producers Association received a record of more than 9,000 nominations for 774 restaurants this past spring. Iowa Pork Producers members and industry affiliates anonymously visited the top 40 locations this summer, scoring each on pork taste, quality, physical characteristics, and eating experience.
The Restaurant and Food Service Committee used those evaluations to select five contenders to advance to the next round. From there, a team of judges traveled to each of the five finalists to determine first and second place.
