Golden Girl Granola Katsu Style Pork Tenderloin

**Update**   This recipe was chosen as one of the five finalist recipes in the Golden Girl Granola Recipe Contest.    Just had to brag a little here.

I made these for a potluck this month as well as for a recipe contest.   My challenge was using Granola in an entree. 

Golden Girl Granola sent me a package of their Original Recipe granola to use.   With one proviso, to create either a breakfast, lunch or dinner entree.

I have to admit to misreading the original post cause I came up with a killer idea to use it in, but it was more of a dessert.

But facts have never stopped me before.

I had a great idea to use the granola in an Asian style meatball, but that idea went by the wayside.

OK, so it dropped totally off the radar.

Last week I made some Katsu style breaded Pork Chops for our Thursday lunch and then it hit me.   I wonder how the granola would work as a coating for Katsu Style Pork Tenderloin.

Actually the thought hit me while I was standing in the middle of the Piggly Wiggly as I looked at a bunch of Pork Tenderloins for sale.   I love pork tenderloin. 

But I needed a dipping sauce as well, cause I thought the pork might be a little on the dry side and might even be too sweet with the granola coating.

It wasn't but I'll take any excuse to come up with a new dipping sauce.  I'll walk you through that process in another post. 

Golden Girl Granola Katsu style Pork Tenderloin

2 cups Golden Girl Original Recipe Granola, processed in Food processor till they look like Panko crumbs 
1 1/2 -2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1.5-2  lb. Pork Tenderloin, cut into slices and pounded thin
2 eggs, whisked
1 cup all purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Badia Seasoning
2 teaspoons Five Spice Blend  (Chinese)
1 teaspoon White Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
Vegetable Oil for frying

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Apricot Preserves
1/2 cup Mango Coconut Sauce
1 tablespoon Sesame Seed Oil
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

Mix the Dipping Sauce together and set aside, while you prepare the meat.

Cut the tenderloin into slices, then pound them out a little.

Set aside while you process the granola in a food processor until it resembles Panko Bread Crumbs.

   Add 2 cups Panko Bread crumbs, the spices and mix together.
Set up dipping station with flour in a flat pan or bowl, the eggs which have been whisked together, and the processed Granola and Panko.
Heat the oil to about 350 degrees. 
Dip the slices of pork into the flour, then the egg and finally the granola/panko mixture,

pressing it into the meat.
Fry each piece until done, about 2-3 minutes, per piece.  The pork is so thin, you really don't need to cook it very long. Take out of oil and put onto food safe paper to drain, continue frying until all the meat is done, then serve with the heated dipping sauce.

Serve with a nice chiffonade of Basil if you like, it adds a lovely herbacious note to the meat. 

I really liked this, although I would add a cautionary note here.   The honey in the granola will burn rapidly if the cutlets are fried at too high a heat.

And there you have it, my entry for the Golden Girl Granola recipe contest.

I just wanted to add this.  The Granola is pretty darn delicious with a little bit of milk, not too sweet at all.