Sandwiches for manly appetites

Posted on June 16, 2012 by bilrob

Sandwiches for manly appetites

It’s general knowledge that most men don’t crave brunch. A preferred Sunday means lingering in sweats with the Sports page or crossword, or watching a game without interruption.

In a perfect world, no man would be required to put on a jacket and tie, sit in a noisy, crowded dining room or stand in line to get a slice of rare roast beef. Neither would he be required to stand in front of a grill trying out his new grill tools in the hot sun all afternoon.

Fortunately, there’s such a thing as “guy food.” Hearty and filling, it can be eaten without utensils while watching a game on the flat screen or at the ballpark, or at an unadorned, preferably outdoor, table with only the benefit of a roll of paper towels.

Barbecue is thought of as the essence of guy food. But naked fire is not a defining requirement of this food genre. Guy food can be a piling up of delicious ingredients between layers of bread.

But no dainty stuff. All ingredients, starting with the bread, needs to be robust. A thick roll. Or a dense loaf. Enter two manly favorites: the Cuban or Havana. And the Sloppy Joe.

A piling of meats and cheese, spread with ballpark-style mustard and filled out with pickles, the Cuban sandwiches have gained popularity over the last few years.

Migrating from that island just south of Miami, it was found only in Florida. Now, any self-respecting city hosting a major league franchise offers the classic sandwiches and a few variations on the theme.

The Cuban or Havana requires fresh roasted pork. Buy a pork roast, 5 to 6 pounds. Place in a baking dish, half a cup each of lemon and orange juice, 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, a few slices of yellow onion, and a teaspoon or two or oregano, besides a little salt and pepper. Roast it for 20 to 30 minutes per pound in a 350 oven. Then slice it against the grain for the sandwiches. Preferably this is warm, but not necessarily.

A brick is an essential utensil for these sandwiches. Scrubbed clean and wrapped in a double thickness of aluminum foil. This is used for weighting the sandwiches while they heat in a heavy — cast iron, but not necessarily — skillet. The brick makes all the difference.

The Sloppy Joe is a brawny, gloriously messy, version of the school cafeteria specialty. The Joe may require a utensil, but it should be a large spoon, not a puny fork, to shovel up any beef that escapes the bread.

Some food historians romantically believe The Joe hailed from the same city as the Cuban. It supposedly made the trip across the water from one to another establishment where a messy bartender presided over lunch.

Eventually, a prominent Baltimorean opened his own, much neater, bar featuring the sandwiches. The other version is it had always been available somewhere in Iowa, known somewhat unimaginatively as a “loose meat” sandwich.

Whatever the origin, the homemade version needs some hot sauce and, for good measure, cheese on top, melting from the heat of the main ingredient. The updated version below incorporates chilies in adobo sauce for extra heat, optional for less adventurous palates.

Either way, use big fat burger rolls, not those puny things packaged in a plastic bag.

CUBAN

Makes 1 large sandwich, serves 2 to 4 depending on appetites

1 loaf Cuban (Italian, Salaio) bread, cut in half lengthwise

yellow mustard

3 dill pickles, cut in 3-4 lengthwise slices

5 slices boiled or baked ham, thinly sliced

2 slices Cuban roast pork, sliced

3 slices Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

Mayonnaise, optional

1. Spread mustard on bottom slice. Place 4 pickles on top of the mustard; place cheese on top of pickles. Place ham slices over pickles. Place slices of roast pork on top of ham. Spread mayonnaise evenly over top slice. Join both halves of the sandwiches, pressing down.

2. Grill sandwiches, in sandwich press or weighted down with a brick in a skillet, pressing sandwich down until top turns golden and cheese melts, 5 to 7 minutes. (For a large batch, place sandwiches on baking sheets; cover with foil and weight down. Place in 350 oven.)

3. Remove sandwich; slice diagonally from corner to corner to serve.

SLOPPY JOES

Makes 10.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely diced onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup tomato paste

2 2/3 cups tomato puree

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon pureed canned chipotle in adobo

10 hamburger buns

10 slices cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Add ground beef; cook until well-browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste, tomato puree, chili powder, Tabasco and chipotle. Stir until blended. Raise heat; bring just to the boil, then reduce to low. Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread on a sandwich about 45 minutes.

3. Heat broiler. Slice rolls open; place under broiler until lightly toasted. Ladle 1/2 cup of the beef mixture onto bottom of each roll. Top with cheddar cheese. Return bottom halves to broiler until cheese melts. Top with remaining halves. Serve hot.

Linda Bassett is the author of “From Apple Pie to Pad Thai: Neighborhood Cooking North of Boston.” Reach her by e-mail at [email protected]. Read Linda’s blog at LindABCooks.wordpress.com. Follow Linda for quick recipes on Twitter at @Kitchencall.

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Making $100 as a Sandwich Lady

Posted on October 25, 2011 by bilrob

Making $100 as a Sandwich Lady

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a personal finance story that you’d like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.

In the movie, Love Actually, a funky looking sandwich boy delivers lunch to everyone’s office desk. That gave me an idea. Why not sell sandwiches to my office co-workers and make a little extra cash? To my amazement, in my first week I made $100.

How I launched my idea

I started by making a little menu flyer with four sandwich options. I distributed the menu among co-workers I was friends with. Typically we would go out to buy a sandwich together. I offered tastier sandwiches for less money. My friends loved the idea, and I got five sandwich orders for the next day.

Buying groceries

That evening I shopped for groceries at a wholesale club, to save money on ingredients. By mixing and matching two types of cheese and cold cuts I could fashion four different sandwiches. I also bought fresh mini-baguettes, which I froze when I got home to keep them perfectly fresh.

Preparing the sandwiches

I got up one hour earlier than usual to prepare the sandwiches. I heated the frozen bread in the microwave for 20 seconds, then I toasted the loaves in a toaster oven for 8 minutes. When the bread came out of the oven it was crispy and fresh. I prepared the sandwiches based on the orders I received, plus I made a few extras.

Color coding the sandwiches

I wrapped each finished sandwich in parchment paper, then I tied a ribbon around the middle. I used four colors of ribbons to help me tell the sandwiches apart. In future, my friends could order their sandwiches by the ribbon color.

Delivering the sandwiches

I delivered the sandwiches in the morning, before work started. Other co-workers who saw the beautiful sandwich grew curious and asked if I had extras. I sold whatever I had and got more orders for the next day.

Long-term storage

The next day I switched to storing undelivered sandwiches in an ice box. At times, the same people would buy a sandwich for breakfast and another late in the afternoon. With the ice box, I could be sure the sandwiches remained fresh.

Keeping it small

Making a sandwich or two for my friends and co-workers was fun to do. But I kept the circle of people I sold to small. This was not an official business, just a fun way to make a little money and spend more time having lunch with co-workers instead of battling traffic on the way to a nearby deli.

More from this contributor:

When Bulk Buying Doesn’t Save Me Money

Dialing for Discounts

Cutting Our Expenses, But Not Our Lifestyle

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First Look: New sandwich shop Butcher & Bee

Posted on October 18, 2011 by bilrob

sandwich

Inspiration at Butcher Bee

First Look: New sandwich shop Butcher & Bee

The secret to any great sandwich is the bread, right? Without that foundation, your sandwich is doomed to disappoint, no matter how awesome the fillings are. Butcher Bee, a new restaurant opening soon on Upper King Street, promises to set the standard for great sammies in Charleston. Owner Michael Shem-Tov is banking on it. He’s been thinking about this concept for a long time, and he’s built Butcher Bee much like he’ll be making the sandwich, one ingredient at a time, making sure that each component is perfect and balanced with all the others.

As inspectors were giving the place a final once-over last week, I got a little taste of what they’ll have to offer. Full disclosure: I’ve known Shem-Tov for a long time, since he was a Spreadhead undergrad at College of Charleston, working on his business plan to open a Mellow Mushroom location on King Street (which he did with his best friend Johnny Hudgins). And I’ve been hearing about his ideas for Butcher Bee for a while now. The name and logo (a bee and two cleavers) speak to the origin of the ingredients (fresh meat, fresh veggies). Shem-Tov is nothing if not a thoughtful, strategic business man. On Friday, he invited a handful of people to check out the menu to give feedback and start working out any kinks in the kitchen.

But before we dig into the sandwich, we ought to talk a bit about the space itself. It’s located in the former Charleston Garden Center, just north of Barsa near Charleston Photography Center. A weird spot, but one that works well with Shem-Tov’s concept. Butcher Bee is like an Easter egg for locals, requiring a bit of a hunt to be found. The place will be a lunch and late-night joint, open from 11-3, both a.m. and p.m. He says they’ll stay open later for lunch if needed to make sure the FB crowd can duck in on their way to work. There’s parking out front and counter service inside, two elements that should ensure quick turnaround for downtown workers looking for a fast but good lunch.

Here’s a bit of interesting backstory. After the Bagel Shop on George Street opened, Shem-Tov set up a meeting with Sinan Aktar to talk about perhaps utilizing Aktar’s kitchen where they do the bagel making. It goes back to that bread thing. To have a good sandwich, he needed the bread component to be the best it could be, and he though maybe the Frenchman making the bagels (who also works at the Sanctuary) could bake his bread too. It hasn’t quite worked out that way, but what did work out is that Aktar invested in Butcher Bee and also convinced Shem-Tov to move into the big space next door to the kitchen. So, there’s Butcher Bee today, in a unique building with high ceilings and walls, parking out front, and big, sunny windows. Architect David Thompson worked with Shem-Tov in transforming the spacious room into a relaxed spot. And the kitchen was already there. It just needed a couple of ranges, and they were good to go.

Michael Shem-Tov (l), Chef Stuart Tracy, Architect David Thompson

Michael Shem-Tov (l), Chef Stuart Tracy, Architect David Thompson

So now, the sandwich. We got to try three. The first was a porchetta on brioche — Chef Stuart Tracy’s favorite. Tracy, the former Chef de Cuisine at Palmetto Café in Charleston Place, is making the brioche himself and has been satisfied with the results. The sandwich was a pleasing balance of pork, bread, and bright condiments, like pickled mustard seeds. He also sent out a pot of jus for dipping.

A tray of porchetta sandwiches

A tray of porchetta sandwiches

The menu will likely always have some sort of grilled cheese option. The one we got to taste was sharp pimento cheese on a crunchy, seeded bread (also made by Tracy). Not necessarily a mind-blowing concept for a sandwich, but it was made extra special with a sprinkling of pecans and slices of pickled okra. Very satisfying — comfort food. My personal favorite was the gyro sandwich. Shem-Tov has spent a lot of time in Israel and became obsessed with making a pita that was unlike those dry, thin grocery store versions you find in the U.S. BB’s pita, which Tracy says he’s been working on for a while, is fluffy and light, a perfect delivery system for the thin slices of savory lamb and crunchy lettuce.

Grilled pimento cheese and gyros

Grilled pimento cheese and gyros

Speaking of lettuce, this is a good time to point out that they are working with local farmers and fishermen (like Mark Marhefka) to make sure each ingredient is topnotch. They also have Elizabeth Beak working on a small garden out back and hope to expand that with time. And when it comes to sides, don’t expect French fries or a bag of chips. Instead, Tracy will be working with fresh veggies like carrots, Brussels sprouts, and butter beans. They’ll come in both individual and for-the-table portions. They’ll also be canning and pickling vegetables, which will be stored in chicken-wire cabinets above the counter.

Shem-Tov says the menu will be in the $8-$13 range. They won’t have a liquor license, but you can bring your own (which also means you can drink whatever you brought past 2 a.m.). The opening date depends on how fast they can navigate the red tape of inspections, but you can expect them to quietly open in the next week or two. Follow Butcher Bee on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

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Sandwich Bread Making with Bill & Sheila

Recipes for cucumber hummus sandwich, ham pinwheels, chicken and broccoli alfredo sliders

Posted on August 9, 2011 by bilrob

Recipes for cucumber hummus sandwich, ham pinwheels, chicken and broccoli alfredo sliders

Lunch box sandwiches don’t have to default to ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly.

There are plenty of options to mix things up and keep them interesting. Ditching the sliced bread is a good place to start. Consider making sandwiches on a piece of baguette (or multiple smaller sandwiches on thin baguette slices). Or if crusty bread isn’t your kid’s thing, try folding or rolling the fillings in a piece of lavash or naan flatbread.

Also get creative with fillings. Sliced meats can be combined with yogurt or cream cheese spreads, and cucumber sandwiches can be made more nutritious and filling by adding hummus.

Cucumber Hummus Sandwich

Start to finish: 10 minutes

45 ml (3 tbsp) hummus

1 piece naan flatbread

15 ml (1 tbsp) honey

1/2 small cucumber, sliced

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Spread hummus over half of the naan. Drizzle honey over the other half of the naan. Arrange cucumber slices over hummus, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold naan in half to form a sandwich.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 360 calories; 80 calories from fat (21 per cent of total calories); 9 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 60 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 7 g fibre; 510 mg sodium.

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Ham Pinwheels

Start to finish: 10 minutes

45 ml (3 tbsp) vegetable cream cheese spread

1 rectangular lavash flatbread

3 slices deli ham

50 ml (1/4 cup) sliced roasted red peppers

Spread cream cheese over lavash. Arrange ham over cream cheese, leaving 2.5 cm (1 inch) of cream cheese exposed on each end.

Arrange roasted red peppers across 1 end. Starting with end that has roasted red peppers, roll up lavash. Use cream cheese at the other end to hold the roll-up together. Trim ends and slice roll into 2.5-cm (1-inch) thick slices to form pinwheels.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 470 calories; 190 calories from fat (40 per cent of total calories); 21 g fat (11 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 85 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 3 g fibre; 1,420 mg sodium.

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Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Sliders

Start to finish: 10 minutes

125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked broccoli, chopped

50 ml (1/4 cup) prepared alfredo sauce

6 small baguette slices

125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked chicken meat (such as from a rotisserie chicken)

3 slices mozzarella cheese

In a small bowl, mix together broccoli and alfredo sauce.

Arrange chicken over 3 of the baguette slices. Top with broccoli-alfredo mixture. Top with a piece of cheese, cut to fit, and remaining bread.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 550 calories; 120 calories from fat (22 per cent of total calories); 13 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 50 mg cholesterol; 73 g carbohydrate; 34 g protein; 6 g fibre; 1,710 mg sodium.

Does The Sloppy Joe Have An Origin?

Posted on August 2, 2011 by bilrob

Does The Sloppy Joe Have An Origin?

In most of the United States, the sloppy Joe sandwich is a lunchroom staple, consisting of skillet-cooked ground meat, usually beef, spicy tomato sauce or tomato paste, and bread or a bun. Sometimes greasy and oversweet, the sloppy Joe has been served in school cafeterias for years. Certainly, when one considers the commercially available versions of the sandwich, this is what comes to mind; the manwich, for example, which is seasoned beef and sauce in a can, ready to be heated and poured over the bread.

Ideally, though, the meat in the sloppy Joe is both sweet and spicy At the same time, and is heavily sautéed to give the sauce thickness, And far from the cold, greasy monstrosity served to school kids. It has become, in some more fashionable delis, an experiment in bringing Diners back to their youth with combinations that go well beyond tomato Paste and beef. One possible selection, for example, is pork in tomato Sauce with ginger, garlic, and chili sauce. With cheddar cheese and on a freshly baked Kaiser roll, topped with fresh spices, it is a far cry from something on a hamburger roll served by a lady in a hairnet.

In New Jersey, however, the sloppy Joe is something completely different. Instead of ground beef, it contains some kind of deli lunch meat, for example, turkey, ham, roast beef, or even sliced cow tongue. It is served on rye bread, often “double-“ or triple-decker.” The sandwich is dressed with Swiss cheese, cole slaw, and Russian dressing, similar to a reuben sandwich.

One theory of the origin of the sandwich is that it originated at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Havanna. The New Jersey version, however, first appeared on the menu of the Town Hall Deli in South Orange, NJ in 1936. To this day, that version, called the original sloppy Joe, is a triple-decker sandwich with layers of ham, tongue, and Swiss cheese, with Russian dressing served on long, thin slices of buttered rye and cut into quarters. Another version is made with smoked salmon, creamed cheese and egg salad, and yet others include corned beef.

Some further evidence of the Cuban connection is seen in a sandwich served in the West Village of New York City.It is essentially a Cuban ropa vieja sandwich, which is based on a marinated pulled skirt steak that is then stewed in a combination of tomato sauce with garlic, cumin, tomatoes, peppers and chilies. This particular iteration is then served on a steam-oven bun.

The New Jersey version of the sandwich, legend has it, was brought Back to the states by a mayor of Maplewood, NJ in 1934 or 35. Of course, given all the versions of the sandwich, there are many explanations for its invention and name. Some hold that it originated in Sloppy Joe’s bar in Cuba. Others attribute it to Sloppy Joe’s in Key West (a favourite hangout of Earnest Hemmingway), which is responsible for the first appearance of the name in print. Still another attributes the ground-meat form of the sandwich to a diner in Iowa, or to the depression-era habit of making almost anything out of hamburger.

Whatever its origin, the sloppy Joe, staple of school cafeterias and New Jersey delis both, remains a favourite of all ages, with wide regional variations – all of them delicious.

author:Kirsten Hawkins

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Sandwiches for manly appetites