1 (18 oz.) pkg. pork tenderloin (2 pack; Smithfield or Hormel)
1-2 sleeves saltines, crushed fine
2-3 eggs, beaten
several dashes hot sauce (will not make it hot)
oil, for frying

Put a sleeve of crackers in a Ziploc bag and beat it until there are only crumbs left. There may be a few large crumbs but for the most part, you want it to be a floury consistency. Put the small crumbs into a pie plate.

In another pie plate, mix the beaten eggs with several good splashes of hot sauce. I like it to be nearly red. It is hard to believe until you've done it, but it will not be hot. However, if you are afraid, omit the hot sauce. (But you should try it once and you'll be hooked).

Cut each piece of tenderloin into 4 pieces, then butterfly them (split them lengthwise until nearly through, but not all the way). With the back of a pan, or the prong side of a meat tenderizer, beat the cut side until it is about 1/8-inch thick. You will nearly be able to see through it, but not quite.

When all the pieces are flattened, dip one at a time into the egg mixture, then into the crumbs, pressing down with your hand to get them to stick. Lay the piece aside while you do the others.

It's best to let these sit for a few minutes to form a "glue" so the crumbs will stick.

They will take no time at all to cook, so warm your oven to 200°F and heat a baking pan in it to be ready for the cooked tenderloins.

You don't need much grease for this (enough to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/8-inch) and the crackers will absorb it if the pan isn't hot enough. You want it to sizzle when you put in the meat. (If you drop it a drop of water and it sizzles, it's ready).

Place a piece of meat in the pan. You don't want to overcrowd the pan, and hopefully each piece is pretty large. Salt and pepper this side. In 2 minutes or less, flip it over and do the other side, seasoning the meat again. Remove the meat and place it in the oven pan to keep warm. You may need to add more oil before putting in the next piece. When all the pieces are in the oven, hopefully you will have a lot of good brown, not black, crumbs in the pan, in which to make a good gravy.

If you need to add a little more oil, add it. When it is hot, add an equal amount of flour and stir or whisk it to brown. Now, this is the scary part. Add a cup of milk and watch it turn into a blob that you will be sure will never turn into gravy. Add another cup. Keep whisking. Keep adding milk, cup by cup, until the right consistency for gravy. Be sure to season this well with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Submitted by: Joanne Scobee Morgan