Behind every passion there lies a significant list of experiences that has shaped that passion. This is true for everything from musical talents to serial killers. It's true for sandwiches as well, and, fortunately, the list is not as intense as one a serial killer might create.
Here are the fab five sandwiches that shaped my early affection for that concoction of the famed Earl.
1) My mother's Tuna Frenchie -- This sandwich is made with plenty of butter for toasting and tuna salad. I have stated that I am not fond of the "salad" sandwich group. One of the main reasons for this is that it is extremely easy to overdo it on the mayo, thus creating an eating experience that tastes mostly like bread and gloopy, gloppy mayonaise. My mother, however, always seemed to get the combination of "wet" ingredients (the mayo, mustard, and relish) and "dry" ingredients (the tuna and spices) so that the sandwich came out perfect. Essentially, a tuna frenchie is a tuna salad sandwich that has been doused with butter and toasted in a hot pan. Delicious.
2) My father's pulled pork -- I am proud to say that no one I know makes a better pulled pork sandwich than my father. He takes his preparation seriously, something that is a must when it comes to excellent pulled pork. He also makes his own sauce, cooks his pork shoulder so slow it's almost torture, and carefully monitors the addition of spices to his artwork. The result is a tender and juicy sandwich worthy of the mess it makes on your face. I can't get enough of the filling, and it doesn't even matter what kind of bread it is piled on.
3) The Monte Cristo -- This was an eye-opener for me, and I've never had a better one than at Bennigan's, one of the few times a chain restaurant tops my "best sandwich" list. The Cristo is a difficult sandwich to pull off since it requires not only expert sandwich construction but also expert deep frying and oil hot enough to keep the sandwich from being overly oily. I'll say no more about The Cristo because unless you've had a good one, there's simply no way to describe the experience, especially when raspberry jam is involved.
4) My mother-in-law's Italian Beef -- Much like my father's pulled pork, this sandwich is juicy, tasty and served on just the right bread, a hoagie roll. Accompanying the well-prepared meat is a generous portion of shredded pepper jack cheese and a scrumptious little spicy morsel, the pepperoncini, which I can eat straight from the jar, but when paired with this sandwich, the little pepper takes a step up in importance.
5) My own Ultimate BLT -- The first sandwich I made that I thought was worthy of the effort was my BLT. I top it with two types of cheeses, Swiss and American, and a special, homemade relish that I cooked up myself (the recipe is below). I also use either rye bread or pumpernickel, depending on my mood, and I always, always toast the bread in a hot pan with butter. I serve this sandwich with a pickle and homemade chips. Yum.
That's the list of sandwiches that have formed my opinion of sandwiches from the beginning. Share your own lists, and please don't hesitate to mention peanut butter and jelly if that's an important staple in your sandwich stable.
RECIPE
The Sandwich Guy's Kickin' Relish
1 cup green olives
1/2 cup sweet salad peppers (make sure they are the sweet kind)
1-2 pepperoncini (for more of a kick, add more of the peppers; for a purely sweet relish, leave the actual peppers out and just add a pinch of the pepperoncini juice)
1 Tbsp of the olive juice
1 Tbsp of the sweet salad pepper juice
1 tsp of pepperoncini juice.
Place all ingredients into a food processor. Use the "Pulse" option to chop ingredients into a fine relish. Spread on your favorite sandwich or hot dog and enjoy!
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