50 State Sandwich Challenge: Delaware

Three weeks ago, I unceremoniously skipped our First State, Delaware.  No, it wasn't because I've had nothing but weird "deliverance" vibes whenever I spent any time there.  I would never let personal opinions (just wait until I get to Maryland) on places take away from this very objective sandwich blog I've had for nearly two years.  But I have to be honest, putting leftovers from a meal I don't particularly look forward to every year didn't get me at all excited.  That's probably why you're getting this blog on a Monday instead of the scheduled Friday. (In reality, I couldn't bear sitting inside my apartment anymore so I took a drive to the Palisades Highway about an hour away just so I could feel some semblance of life. Beautiful drive, by the way.)  So what's the deal, Delaware? Why is "The Bobbie" your signature sandwich? I know people love this sandwich but here's what I previously wrote when eating "The Gobbler" for my Taliercio's Challenge: " I know this will be a controversial choice, but I don't understand people's obsession with Thanksgiving food.  I mean it was created by people (the pilgrims,) who lived the plainest lifestyle imaginable and almost died of starvation upon arrival to North America.  Not exactly who I would turn to for culinary advice." And I stand by those statements.  But enough about me I guess you want to hear what the deal is with this sandwich.  There's a sandwich chain, Capriotti's, which originated in Wilmington, Delaware.  I used to see these sandwich shops all over DC but never went inside one due to the soulless vibe of gentrification the shops brought with them.  Sorry, sorry I know I'm supposed to be highlighting the positives about each state's sandwich and how the Union brings us all closer together.  Anyway, Capriotti's subs first opened in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood in 1976 by brother and sister Lois and Alan Margolet, where I'm sure they had perfectly good Italian subs. (Honestly, they have to be good if they could be made into a regional chain.) The Margolet's went to their Aunt Bobbie's (married to John Capriotti), the day after Thanksgiving every year in Baltimore, where she would build her famous sandwiches of Thanksgiving leftovers.  Lois loved the sandwich so much, she decided to put her aunt's creation on the menu of the original sandwich shop.  The sandwich became an instant hit and 44 years later remains the shop's signature sandwich.  For me, this was a boring construction but the sandwich wasn't THAT bad.

Ingredients:

Leftover turkey

Leftover stuffing

Leftover cranberry sauce

Mayo 

White Bread

1. Spread mayo on both sides of the bread.

2. Layer the turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

3. Watch football. 

50 State Sandwich Challenge: Hawaii

 Aloha.  You might have heard of our 50th and most recently admitted state, Hawaii. The lush, tropical paradise of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is somewhere I really wish I was right now.  But instead, I'm bringing the luau to my apartment, and no luau would be complete without a feast of kalua pua'a (I had a Hawaiian roommate for 2 years and he's no doubt calling me a Haole right now).  Kalua pork is one of the oldest and most traditional dishes served on a Hawaiian plate.  The word kalua translates "to cook in an underground oven" which is interestingly similar to the native cooking techniques of the Caribbean we covered when slow cooking the pork for our Cuban sandwich.  The marinade for this, though, is entirely different and reflects a more Asian influence you'd find in the Pacific.  Sandwiches were not native to the islands until European arrival in 1778 when British explorer Captain James Cook named the archipelago, I'm not joking, "the Sandwich Islands," in honor of his sponsor John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich.  Prior to European arrival, chiefs often fought for power over the islands, however, in 1795, facing the inevitable increase of European colonization, all inhabited islands were subjugated under a single ruler, King Kamehameha the Great, who's dynasty ruled Hawaii as a kingdom until 1872.  American missionaries worked quickly to convert the kingdom to Christianity, however, thankfully their rich history and traditions were not completely erased as they were all too often.  After the death of bachelor King Kamehameha V in 1874, the United States and Britain landed troops to establish a republic.  By 1887, under pressure from wealthy American businessmen, the elected Hawaiian leader was forced to sign a new constitution that stripped all Hawaiians and other Asian immigrant groups of their rights to work and vote in favor of white settlers.  By 1898, the islands were annexed into a territory, until being admitted as a state in 1959.  After attaining statehood, Hawaii quickly modernized through construction and a rapidly growing tourism economy, while state programs promoted Hawaiian culture.  While there is not a lot of actual history of the kalua pork sandwich in Hawaii or where to get one, the pulled pork is incredibly common.  Instead of hamburger rolls, I decided to call an audible and use King Hawaiian rolls and turn these into sliders! 

Ingredients:

1 packet teriyaki marinade (recommended: McCormick Grill Mates)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 cup chili sauce

One 6-ounce can pineapple juice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

8 King Hawaiian rolls

1. In a bowl, combine teriyaki mix, paprika, and pepper. Coat the pork in the rub mixture until it's all used.  Let that shit marinade.

2. Whisk together chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili sauce, and pineapple juice, and let it chill for a minute.

3. Put chopped onions and carrots in your slow cooker and place the pork on top.  Pour half of the pineapple juice mixture over the pork. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

4.  When the pork is almost ready, make the sauce.  Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic and ginger.  Saute a minute and add the remaining pineapple juice mixture.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  

5. Serve the shredded pork on the rolls and drizzle some of the Hawaiian sauce on top.  

50 States Sandwich Challenge: Georgia

Seems like Georgia's on everyone's mind these days and no, I'm not still talking about the election.  I'm of course talking about The Masters taking place this weekend after a delay earlier in the year.  Incredibly (and unplanned), Georgia is this week's sandwich of the week.  And during Master's weekend, it's only appropriate to use the only food served at the course for spectators, Georgia's state sandwich, The Pimento Cheese Sandwich.  Everyone I've ever met who has attended The Masters in Augusta, GA has raved about the Pimento Cheese Sandwiches there, so I'm excited to get my hands on one today while sitting down to watch some golf like the middle-aged man I am rapidly becoming.  Pimento Cheese has a long history in the United States, and you'll be as surprised as I am to learn that it did not start in Georgia.  In the 1870s farmers in upstate New York started making a soft, unripened cheese that became what you know now as cream cheese.  At the same time, Spain was exporting canned sweet red peppers known as Pimentos en masse to New Yorkers.  These two new "modern" products were favorites of "Domestic Science" practitioners of the 19th century (these were women-led social reformists who sought to bring order and scientific precision to their homes).  Before long, the U.S. was at war with Spain (Spanish-American War), and with it, the supply of pimentos was cut off.  That was until Georgia farmers began growing red peppers and canning them, thus becoming America's center of the pimento industry.  The peak of Georgia's pimento production was the 1920s-1940s, a time when pimento cheese was mentioned in hundreds of ads, none of which describe the cheese as being specifically Southern.  Augusta National Golf Club opened right in the middle of the pimento boom in 1933, and The Masters' Tournament was born in the following year in 1934, where the only food served to the public was a pimento cheese sandwich.  Pimentos popularity waned post World War 2, but still remained a staple in Augusta, who kept the pimento tradition alive.  

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated with a food processor or hand grater (not pre-grated)
• ¼ cup softened cream cheese (2 ounces), pulled into several pieces
•  Scant 1/2 cup jarred pimento or other roasted red peppers (from a 7-ounce jar), finely diced
• 3 tablespoons Duke’s, Hellmann’s or other high-quality store-bought mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon dried red chile flakes
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl or food processor, mix the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, pimentos, mayo, and chile flakes into a smooth and spreadable mixture.

2. Spread on white bread.

3. Que the music.

50 States Sandwich Challenge: Florida

 No, I did not skip Delaware on purpose because of some protest of our new assumed President-Elect.  Delaware's sandwich just makes more sense in three weeks (because it's a Thanksgiving sandwich.) Now that that's out of the way, we can move on to a state and sandwich that I'm very familiar with, Florida's pride, The Cuban Sandwich.  I spent the first 20 years of my life driving to Florida every summer eating Cuban sandwiches from Miami Beach (Puerto Sagua) to St. Petersburg (Pipo's) so the thought of making my own Cuban sandwich living up to those standards seems pretty intimidating to me.  But as I smell the pork shoulder cooking in my pressure cooker, I'm washed by a sense of a little relief.  As with most of these sandwiches, the exact person of origin is unknown but it is thought to have been a popular lunch for Cuban cigar and sugar workers in and around Havana during the 1860s.  By the 1880s, Cubans disenfranchised by Colonial Spain, began immigrating to Tampa (then a small fishing village) and brought with them tobacco, sugar, and rum along with their incredibly popular lunch.  Americans loved the concept and embraced the "Cuban Sandwich" locally in the Tampa Bay area. By the 1960s and 70s, Cubans (including my family) were fleeing Communism in droves for Florida, where they landed in Miami.  These immigrants also brought over the Cuban sandwich with them, and from there spread them to places like New York, New Jersey, and Chicago, thus paving the way for the Cuban Sandwich to become one of the most popular and well-recognized American sandwiches. The Tampa vs. Miami debate still rages on over who makes the better Cuban sandwich, however, in 2018, the late Cuban chef Carl Ruiz claimed that the best Cuban sandwich is not found in Florida but rather in West New York, New Jersey.  I won't let my biases get in the way (I was born in Hudson County, home of the nation's best Cuban sandwiches), and give Florida it's time in the sun, not like they need it.  With so many choices around me for a real, authentic Cuban sandwich, it was really tough for me to make this one on my own, but I'm glad I did, and hopefully, my rendition does not shame my family's name more than my broken grasp of the Spanish language already has. 

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless pork shoulder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of your knife

1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

1 medium onion, sliced

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 lime, juiced

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 long Cuban bread roll

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

8 thin slices Swiss cheese

1 cup bread and butter pickles

8 thin slices deli ham

1. You should let the pork marinate overnight in the mojo.  Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano, and then put in a ziplock bag with some mojo criollo marinade (Goya makes it, you can get it at the store).  If you don't have time for that just season normally and move onto step 2.

2.  Set the base of a pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil. Add garlic and chili flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil. Add the pork. Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock, and bay leaves.

3. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

4. To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, cheese, pickles, ham, pork then cheese again (the cheese glues everything together).

5. To cook, heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the skillet and top with another heavy skillet and a couple of heavy weights (bricks, or cans of tomatoes work well). Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy. 

PEC Challenge: Bing's Beachside Deli

Took a drive down to Avon this morning for more than an inspirational Instagram post.  Without the sea of bennies, and with a little warmth left in the air, this is one of the best times to be at the Jersey Shore so naturally, I'm going to take advantage of it,  especially now that I'm waking up at 630am thanks to daylight savings.  Bing's Beachside Deli was featured by Pete Genovese's top Pork Rolls in NJ feature on NJ.com so it's been on my radar for a while.  After this week it seemed only right to have a guaranteed banger of a PEC and that's exactly what I got.  The best thing about being down the shore during off-peak season is everyone around is an actual, real-life, beach person.  With no tourists running around, everyone just seemed to be in a much better mood (or maybe it was because they were happy about the election results, I don't know).  Anyway, I was warmly greeted by the employees, who seemed to know almost every person who walked in before and after me by name.  I love that.  We can all use a little community these days.  

Bread Rating: 9.1/10 (Very unique, oval-shaped roll, perfectly toasted. This was the first (and maybe only?) place I've seen with this type of roll and it was fantastic.)

Pork Roll Rating: 8.6/10 (Four crispy, thick slices of pork roll that gave a good crunch upon biting but still kept its pork roll flavor.  What I'm saying is that these were perfectly heated on the griddle.)

Egg Rating: 7.6/10 (Two large eggs over a little hard.  Typically like them to be runnier but still not complaining.  Sandwich was very solid overall.)

Cheese Rating: 8.2/10 (I love it when the cheese is melted into the toasted roll.  Anytime you can get that "grilled cheese" flavor in addition to the pork roll, you are going to win.)

Sandwich Composition: 8.1/10 (Basically a grilled cheese with egg and pork roll on it.  The SPK was expertly applied here and the size was very good.)

Overall: 8.32/10 (Just as advertised, Bing's brings it.  Everything from the vibes of the deli to the execution was excellent.  Absolutely a must to check out if you're down the shore around Avon.) 

Price: $5.75

Bing's Beachside Deli is located at 222 Main St, Avon-By-The-Sea, NJ 07717

PEC Challenge: Baron's Bagels Brick

You guys thought I'd forget about National Sandwich Day? Oh, you mean it's also Election Day? Well, some of you may be disappointed or relieved (based on which mental illness you subscribe to) to learn that this establishment is not owned by our current President's teenage son.  That would have been a wild little swerve for you today, wouldn't it? No matter what happens today, it will come as a great relief, and hopefully, it will to you as well, because after today I will be able to spend some more time bringing you pork roll reviews from around our beautiful state of NJ.  As for today, I will be turning off my phone and enjoying a windy 18 holes at a local country club that is open to plebs like me because it's a Tuesday in November. And I think that's the lesson I'd like to give to all of you today.  Tomorrow, the sun will rise, and we'll all be stuck together on this space rock hurtling through the void with no end in sight.  Enjoy! 

Bread Rating: 7.2/10 (A decent roll, soft and held together nicely with all of the contents inside)

Pork Roll Rating: 8.1/10 (A beautiful display of pork roll, look at that mountain of meat sitting at the top of that sandwich.)

Egg Rating: 6.8/10 (After the pork roll display, the egg doesn't compare, two fried eggs, pretty average.)

Cheese Rating: 7.8/10 (Look at all that CHEESE. You might need some napkins for this one.)

Sandwich Composition: 7.5/10 (Good SPK placement, uncreative layering, however, loads of pork roll never a bad thing.  Again, loaded up on cheese.)

Overall Rating: 7.48/10 (Solid PEC, and our first in Ocean County, things are looking pretty good so far there.)

Price: $5.75, cash only. 

Baron's Bagels is located at 1743 NJ-88, Brick Township, NJ 08724