Saturday, June 26, 2010

Weekend Cooking...Sandwich Saturday

When the weather turns hot, my mind does not turn to cooking. Turning on the oven for a tasty casserole, spending hours simmering a big pot of soup, standing over a saute pan, stirring and stirring...no thanks.
No, when the weather turns hot, sometimes my mind turns to sandwiches!
But not just any old cold, dull sandwiches. So lets explore a few of my favorites.

Now, I admit, the first may have a few purist shaking their fists, running for the pitchforks. An authentic, slow smoked pull pork sandwich is a wonderful thing, but I don't have 8 hours to hover over a smoker. Ok, I don't actually have a smoker, so I offer a fast, easy, tasty alternative.
The "Pulled" Chicken Sandwich.
Go to the store and buy a rotisserie chicken.
My favorite are the ones from Sam's Club.
Theirs are cheaper than buying the chicken
and cooking it myself, and so juicy.
Take it home, pull all the meat off,
chopping some very fine, some less so.
Freeze the bones for stock we will make
when it get cold.
Add a bit of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
Pile the warn, saucy meat on a nice soft potato roll.
Top with additional sauce and cole slaw.

We will pause while I eat that. Yum.

Next we will move on to a Philly favorite. Now, Philadelphia is known for the cheesesteak, which is a fine sandwich, but I think even better is the lesser known Roast Pork sandwich. Perhaps the best is served at DiNic's in the Reading Terminal Market but you can made a pretty good one at home. A good roll is imperative and we in the Atlantic City area are lucky enough to have the best bakers of Italian bread in the world. Yes, the world. They say the secret is the water. Today, we will use a lovely Formica roll, chewy and substantial enough to hold up to a juicy sandwich because the proper roast pork is a juicy sandwich. Just a few ingredients...the lovely roll, a few slices of sharp provolone cheese, some warm, juicy, thinly sliced roast pork (a seasoned, cooked pork tenderloin I had in the frig, nuked 20-30 seconds to warm) with any juice the pork gave up and a nice topping of baby spinach sauteed in lots of garlic. Lots. Serve with a bib and a pile of napkins.

And finally, we will have my take on a Cuban sandwich, a wonderful excuse to use my beloved Cuisinart Griddler, which as well as a grill is a great sandwich press. In this case, we will start with a Portuguese roll. On one side we put some mayo, on the other, some mustard. Now, add some sliced pickles, some Swiss cheese, some ham, some roast pork, a bit more Swiss, and for good measure, a bit of diced piquant peppers. Now, into the Griddler it goes, the idea being to melt the cheese, form a crisp crust and press the sandwich down. If you don't have a Griller...and you should...you can do it is a pan, weighting the sandwich down with a heavy pan or a brick wrapped in foil.

The Griddler is easier. And shiny. Crunch!



This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.


16 comments:

  1. Nothin' like summertime sandwich fare! We love our griddle/grill, too.

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  2. I don't think my sandwiches come anywhere close to yours. Good Lord my stomach is growling...

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  3. I keep eyeing the Griddler! Your sandwiches look delicious.

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  4. Some very nice ideas for sandwiches. I love that Griddler!

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  5. I was just thinking 'it's lunch time!' We get great portuguese rolls and bread up here in Maine from a bakery in NJ, but must confess, I've never heard of a Formica roll...do tell? Looks like (from the photo) the NJ version of Foccocia.

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  6. You come up with the best stuff. I'm going to try all three of these sandwiches. I may have to adjust the bread part but I like your ideas for the fillings. I don't like turning the oven on when it's so hot. And, one can only eat so many cole salads. Thank you, Caite, for your great ideas and for sharing them.

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  7. I adore my Cusinart griddler too and my parents just got one as well! I make pulled pork in the slow cooker so I don't heat up the kitchen. I can plug in on the porch! I love your sandwich ideas!

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  8. I have considered the pork in the slow cooker, but have not tried it yet. Those chickens are just so cheap and easy...and tasty.

    I do love the Griddler!My second most used appliance after my electric kettle.

    Formica is one of a couple of bread bakeries in Atlantic City. All the best sub shops in the area use their rolls, but I don't know if they ship very far.
    Those portuguese rolls..I think they are all made in north Jersey. The ones I get are from there too

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  9. Mmmm, sandwiches! I also make pulled pork in a slow cooker. It comes out great. I highly recommend it.

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  10. we're planning on busting out the panini maker during our trip to the beach next week...no need to cook after a day in the sun!

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  11. Oh, yum! These sandwiches make my mouth water!

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  12. Oh, that looks simply delish!!! Must try those, especially since I have that shiny griddler as well... Hugs, Silke

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  13. Mmmmmm . . . I want a Griddler!

    My weekend cooking project was a dud, unfortunately.

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  14. I am with you-as the weather turns hot the oven turns off. I change what I eat according to the season.

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