50 States Sandwich Challenge: New Jersey

This isn't a biased blog at all.  I would never come out and say that New Jersey is the most important culinary state in the entire country or that the contributions of 9,288,994 people living on 8,722 (mostly beautiful, historically toxic) square miles have done nothing but positively influence our national culture.  Nope, you won't find anything like that here.  This project is supposed to highlight every state's sandwich contributions, not just my home state. So please try to look past all of the "top food lists" (who writes these things anyway) that have New Jersey pizzerias, delis, and restaurants holding the majority. It really isn't fair to all of the rest of the states that have brought me so much sandwich joy over the last several months (with the exception of Kentucky, for real guys, Hot Brown, what the fuck).  There are a few directions you might think NJ's state sandwich could go:  Pork roll, egg, and cheese? Sausage and peppers? Sloppy Joe? All contenders.  But there is one sandwich that you can find anywhere in the country at any time in any (respectable) deli: The Italian Sub.  Yes, I call it a sub, because that's what we call it in New Jersey, not a hero, not a (pukes) hoagie.  As you can imagine, there's a lot going on when your state sits in between two of the largest, original American cities so let me break this down for you.  A great wave of Italian immigration came to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s, mostly settling in New York City and Philadelphia, eventually spreading to all of that open "garden" space in New Jersey following WW2.  Immigrants from Naples brought with them the Italian sandwich, made with crusted bread and stuffed with cured meats and cheese.  Legend has it that in 1910, Dominic Conti began selling these sandwiches on Mill Street in Patterson, NJ who observed the similarity of shape with the first experimental submarine (built on the docks of Elizabeth) thus naming the sandwich the "sub." This predates the Italian sandwich being called anything else but if you must know why it is also called the hero or hoagie you are in luck that this former History major is feeling generous today.  The name "hero" is credited to NY Herald Tribune food writer Clementine Paddleford (electric name) who wrote in 1930 that you needed to be a hero to eat the giant-sized Italian sandwich from James Manganaro's deli in New York.  Don't worry, the origin of hoagie is just as fun.  Hog Island was a shipyard in the area of Philadelphia during World War I and employed mostly Italian immigrants.  The workers were nicknamed "hoggies" because Hog Island, duh, and the lovely people of Philly, with their cute, backwater accents pronounced that word as "hoagie." The name stuck when South Philly neighborhood delis began offering the "hoagie" as the featured sandwich which became a household name once Wawa began selling them in the late 1970s (I do love Hoagiefest.) There are about a million places I could go to get one near me but in keeping with tradition, I will be constructing my own Italian sub today.  Let's see how it goes.  

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 loaf of soft Italian bread (Livoti's, duh)

red wine vinegar

olive oil

salt and pepper

provolone cheese

Genoa salami

Pepperoni

Mortadella

Capicola

shredded lettuce (I used an Italian blend)

Pepperoncini 

sliced plum tomato

dried oregano

1. Split the bread lengthwise and drizzle the olive oil and vinegar on the bottom half.  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Layer the cheese and meat on the bottom. Top the meat with onion, lettuce, pepperoncini, and tomatoes.  Drizzle olive oil and vinegar on top of everything with a sprinkle of oregano.  

3. Personally, I think I killed it. 

50 States Sandwich Challenge: New Hampshire

This is now the second time on this list that poor Massachusetts has had one of its staple foods claimed by another state.  I guess that just comes with the territory of breaking up the Massachusetts Bay Colony into different states.  But really, the roast beef sandwich isn't exactly native to the North Shore.  Some trace of origins of the American-style roast beef sandwich as far back as 1877, described by The Washington Post as "a true taste of South Dakota", "unattractive" and "a tired ark in a gravy flood."  So why then, would Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere, Massachusetts claim to have invented the sandwich in 1951?  Well, I suppose it's the combination of cheese and horseradish that really spruced up the 'ole tired roast beef and gravy that drove the elitist Washington Post nuts, but today, the North Shore is the place to go for a roast beef sandwich.  Everyone knows that.  So, I'm sorry New Hampshire, I'm not sure where you really come into play here other than you share the same cold, rocky beaches of the North Shore and that Kelly's is planning to open a franchise in Manchester next year.  But that's just New England for you, folks.  New Hampshire just wants to live free or die (of Massachusetts taxes) and grab a roast beef.  No shame in that game.  

Ingredients

Roast Beef

Cheddar Cheese

Horseradish 

Arugula

Brioche bun 

1. Spread horseradish on your brioche bun.

2. Mountain of roast beef on top.  Cheese, arugula, and close.  Boom you have a roast beef sandwich. 

50 States Sandwich Challenge: Nevada

 Ok, Nevada.  I'm not sure where you got the idea that the Patty Melt is yours.  The Patty Melt became commercialized as early as the 1940s as a variant of the popular cheeseburger.  The difference here? Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and rye bread pressed on the griddle.  The closest thing to credit to the Patty Melt that exists goes to Los Angeles restauranteur Tiny Naylor who may have invented the sandwich in the 1930s.  Even if Tiny Naylor did not invent the sandwich, he did help popularize it at his restaurants: Tiny Naylor's, DuPars, and Wolfgang Puck's Granita.  There is a Dupars in the Golden Gate Resort and Casino in Las Vegas which is a hilarious stretch for the state to claim this as their state sandwich but I suppose when you are surrounded by radioactive desert, you have limited culinary items to choose from of your own.  Good for you, Vegas, always on that hustle.  

Ingredients:

1 onion

1lb Ground Beef

Rye Bread

Swiss Cheese

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Butter

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter on medium-low heat and cook the sliced onions slowly over 20-25 minutes until caramelized.

2. Mix ground beef with spices and form hamburger patties. Cook the patties however you like your burgers.

3. Assemble: Bread, Cheese, Patty, Onions, Cheese, Bread and place on a buttered griddle to toast. 

4. Put $100 on black and don't look back.  

50 State Sandwich Challenge: Nebraska

 Now this one may surprise you.  You probably expected the classic Reuben sandwich to be invented in New York, which claims have been made.  But the reality is, The Reuben's beginnings can be traced back to 1920 when an Omaha grocer,  Reuben Kulakofsky, asked for a sandwich made of corned beef and sauerkraut to be served during his late-night poker games held at the Blackstone Hotel.  Reuben was a regular at the Blackstone's poker room for 15 years from 1920-1935. The sandwich gained local fame, when the owner of the Blackstone, Charles Schimmel, put the sandwich on the hotel's lunch menu, whose fame grew nationally once the recipe won a national sandwich idea contest.  Today, you can find The Reuben sandwich at almost any deli in the country as it continues to be an all-time sandwich and incredibly simple to make at home.  If you don't like corned beef or don't have any handy, you can replace it with pastrami or turkey for an entirely new sandwich experience called The Rachel.  

Ingredients: 

1lb of Corned Beef

Rye Bread

Swiss Cheese

8 oz sauerkraut 

1/4 cup of Russian Dressing

Instructions:

1. Place bread on a foiled baking sheet and distribute the corned beef on top. Put in the oven on broil for 3-4 minutes to heat up the beef.

2. Top each sandwich with sauerkraut and a slice of swiss cheese.  Return to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. 

3. Remove from oven and spread empty side of bread with Russian dressing.  Top the sandwich dressing side down and return to the oven to broil for another 1-2 minutes.  

4. Serve warm.  

50 State Sandwich Challenge: Montana

There's a lot more to Big Sky Country than meets the eye.  No, I'm not talking about the black eye Montana's governor gave that journalist, I'm talking about a mountainous, beautiful paradise of agriculture and outdoor living.  The appeal of Montana has grown significantly for me as I recently looked up month-long Airbnbs after watching (1) episode of the TV show Yellowstone.  Then I remembered that I've never done hard labor in my life, and thought it best to keep Montana's New Jersey-born population to just Governor Gianforte.  Still, I would love to visit if only to experience clean air and maybe a rodeo.  John's Original Pork Chop sandwich opened in 1924 in the mining town of Butte, where John Burklund sold his pork chop sandwiches from the back of a wagon on the corner of Mercury and Main Street.  Today, you can get John's Pork Chop sandwich "loaded" (mustard, pickles, and onions) or "loaded deluxe" (pickles, onions, mustard, mayo, and tomato.) Of course I opted for the "loaded deluxe" version when I made these bad boys.  This was weirdly similar to Indiana's pork tenderloin so please don't call me out on it, I promise this is a different sandwich.  The cut of pork makes the difference, and John's pork chops are not soaked in buttermilk.  Still, this was an excellent sandwich, which shouldn't come as a surprise as it was featured on Food Network's "best thing I ever ate" program.  

Ingredients: 

6-8 thin sliced pork loin chops 

salt

paprika

cayenne pepper

garlic powder

2 cups of flour

2 eggs beaten

2 cups of panko breadcrumbs

vegetable oil

hamburger buns

pickles 

tomato

onion

mayo

yellow mustard

1. Pre-heat the oil on medium-high.  Combine the spices with the flour and create your dredge station.

2. Put your chops in the flour mixture, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs.  Repeat. 

3. Fry up those pork chops for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Set aside on a paper towel-covered plate and let drain. 

4. Spead mayo on each side of the hamburger bun and then place a pork chop (or two if you're feeling frisky) on top of the bun.  Spread some yellow mustard on there and top with the tomato, onion, and pickles.) 

And now the moment you've all been waiting for...

50 States Sandwich Challenge: Missouri

 Sorry about the extended halftime break this month, but we are officially halfway through making every single state in America's signature sandwich! Gioia's Deli in St. Louis is Missouri's oldest and most revered deli, opening in 1918 in "The Hill" neighborhood which was historically home to thousands of Italian immigrants in the early 20th century.  Known for their freshly made salami, Gioia's became the go-to spot for the "hot salami" sandwich, landing it on this list and on my dining room table.  The salami is cooked right in front of you and cut thick, with spicy mustard, onion, and pepperoncini toasted on a beautiful Italian roll.  The Hill was always known as a blue-collar neighborhood, and this is a blue-collar sandwich.  Meat, condiment, see you tomorrow, same time, same place, for over a hundred years.  Baseball greats Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up on The Hill and I'm no historian but they probably ate thousands of these.  And if it's good enough for major league catchers who played 60 years ago, then it's good enough for me.  

Ingredients:

1/2 lb thick-cut salami (This isn't as thick as it needed to be to match Gioia's)

1/4lb American white cheese

Pepperoncini 

Spicy Mustard

1 Italian loaf from Livoti's 

1. Spread spicy mustard on each side of the bread.

2. Place cheese and salami on bread and put it in the toaster oven until cheese is melted.

3. Pepperoncini on top and you're good to go. I really enjoyed this sandwich. 

Brennan's Middletown; Ranked

 I have conquered yet another local deli's sandwich board.  This one may have been about 1/3 of the size of Taliercio's (who have now added about 30 new sandwiches since I've ranked them), but the flavors are all still there.  I fondly remember heading to Brennan's in Rumson for a post-beach, pre-valet job sandwich with my friend Brendan (HBD, btw) during summers in college.  The quality of these sandwiches remained unchanged when they opened a location in Red Bank (Middletown side), which was way more convenient for me to get to since I was not going to the beach during the winter.  While Taliercio's remains king of the Italian deli store, Brennan's holds more of a "bistro" vibe, with sandwiches ranging from the classic NJ Italian cold cuts to grilled chicken and Havarti dill cheese.  Food quality remains king for these successful delis and Brennan's is no exception, providing fresh bread, cold cuts, and creative cheese and sauce combinations that are unique to Brennan's.  As always, this list is subjective, I'll explain my thought process the best I can but I ate these over the span of six months, not all at once so who's really to say what sandwich from Brennan's is the best because honestly all of these sandwiches were delicious.  Just use this as your guide to all of the sandwiches they have to offer and go from there.  

26. The #6 Black Forest Ham, Brie Cheese, Honey Mustard

I'm a fan of brie cheese, really I am, but I'm just not entirely sure it works on an entire sandwich.  I do love some ham and honey mustard but sadly if you eat this every day you may run the risk of achieving the body of a specific North Korean leader, who may or may not have gained 100lbs in 3 months eating nothing but brie cheese. 

25. The #4 Turkey, Garlic Herb Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo

Love a turkey sandwich. Unfortunately, though, it is the most boring of the many deli types of meat you can choose from.  I thought the Garlic herb cheese would add more flavor but really got a lot of tomatoes and regular turkey. 

24. The #8 Smoked Turkey, Roasted Garlic, Swiss Cheese, Sundried Tomato Mayo

Now we're kicking up the turkey sandwich a notch.  By adding roasted garlic (which brings out the flavor in the garlic by roasting) and sundried tomato mayo, there is something more than just a regular turkey taste here. 

23. The #12 Turkey, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

Mozzarella and roasted peppers completely transform a boring turkey sandwich into something I can really get behind but there is still flavor to be had in this town.

22. The #24 Grilled Chicken, Lettuce, Tomato, Honey Mustard

Sticking with poultry, the grilled chicken is a bit better than the turkey, with honey mustard and the typical lettuce and tomato.  Simple, yet effective.  

21. The #16 Leaf lettuce, Onion, Tomato, Sun-Dried Tomato, Roasted Peppers, Havarti Dill Cheese, Balsamic Vinaigrette on a Pita 

Ah, yes.  Your meatless option.  Bet you didn't expect to see 5 other sandwiches behind this one.  But there was more than enough flavor to go around here, with sun-dried tomato and roasted peppers, this is the ultimate spring/summer snack (it's a snack because let's be honest you'll be hungry 2 hours after eating this). The Havarti dill cheese is the real star here, one we have not seen the last of on this list. 

20. The #26 Grilled Chicken, Monterey Jack, Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Lettuce, Lime Cilantro Dressing.

The black bean and corn salsa was for sure interesting, I'm not sure if I should have gotten this sandwich as a wrap though as it felt a little weird getting southwest flavors with a semolina roll. 

19. The #5 Roasted Eggplant, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato

Roasted eggplant is actually good and if you are looking for a meat replacement or if you're having digestive issues.  Not saying that's the only reason to get this sandwich because there's also really good flavor here with the mozzarella and roasted peppers.   

18. The #23 Smoked Turkey, Monterey Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Guacamole Mayo in a Tortilla Wrap

The guacamole mayo was a godsend on this wrap.  So much so that it catapulted this sandwich to a top 20 finish. Everything else was pretty typical turkey wrap stuff.    

17. The #25 Marinated Grilled Portabello, Roasted Peppers, Mozzarella, Lettuce, Tomato, Balsamic Vinaigrette on an Herb Focaccia

Here it is.  Your best meatless option from Brennan's.  The portabello mushrooms are marinated so well, and will actually leave you feeling like you ate an actual meal.  Also, let's not sleep on the herb focaccia that graces the outer walls of this sandwich.  If you love vegetables, you will love this sandwich. 

16. The #22 Fresh Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo

I know I've said a lot about the thanksgiving leftover sandwich so I won't repeat myself here but Brennan's version really surprised me.  Maybe it's because they aren't excessively using thanksgiving foods or what but just the turkey and cranberry sauce worked really well.  It's all about ratio, kids.  

15. The #7 Capicola, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

We have reached the "Italian" section of this list.  Like I said, this isn't an Italian specialty deli, so their Italian subs will be around the middle of the pack here.  That's not to say these aren't good sandwiches.  

14. The #2 Capicola, Salami, Provolone, Pepperoni, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

Generally, I like mozzarella better than provolone, but the provolone isn't very sharp here and the addition of pepperoni and salami to the capicola propelled this sandwich over the one above it.  

13. The #13 Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Roast Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

It's prosciutto and mozzarella, I mean come on, what else do I need to say here.  

12. The #3 Roast Beef, Horseradish Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo

Surprised to see this one at number 12? Me too, because I love all of these ingredients.  I have to say, though, that I really think the tomato takes away from the horseradish flavor I was looking for in the cheese.  Or maybe it needed an extra slice of it, I'm not sure.  

11. The #17 Smoked Salmon, Horseradish Cheese, Tomato, Onion, Pumpernickel

Smoked salmon is so delightful, I wonder why I don't get it more often.  Maybe I will.  Again, the horseradish cheese was there but could have used more of it.  Not a big deal though because, again, smoked salmon.  

10. The #10 Sliced Chicken Breast, Havarti Dill Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Basil Mayo

Absolutely loved the Havarti dill cheese/basil mayo combo on this sandwich as it really made the chicken breast pop with every bite. 

9. The # 19 Smoked Turkey, Muenster Cheese, Cole Slaw, Russian Dressing

Don't let the lack of color fool you, this sandwich packed flavor into it.  Coleslaw and Russian dressing were just made for each other, and you get the muenster cheese that you generally don't find on many sandwiches.  Fun! 

8. The #1 Ham, Salami, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomato, Oil & Vinegar

The number one NJ sandwich in our hearts but only 8 on this list (it's a good list!) I really just don't love provolone, that's really what this comes down to.  

7. The #21 Tuna Salad, Havarti Dill Cheese, Red Onion, Lettuce, Mayo

A fun fact about me is that I used to bring a thermos of tuna for lunch to school up until around 2nd grade.  I also started making friends in school around 3rd grade and those two facts are definitely not related. I loved this sandwich, and the Havarti dill actually went perfectly with the tuna.  Trust me, it's not the end of the world ordering this sandwich, especially since we are not in offices anymore. 

6. The #18 Sliced Chicken Breast, Monterey Jack Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Honey Mustard. 

You can sign me up for a chicken, bacon, honey mustard sandwich any day of the week.  Add in some Monterey Jack cheese and we have something going.  

5. The #9 Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Swiss Cheese, Lettuce, Basil Mayo

Roasted pork just gives a flavor you won't get from turkey.  This is a really simple sandwich, elevated by the meat.  OK, and also basil mayo.  I'm not really asking for much to get into the top 5.  

4. The #20 Liverwurst, Swiss Cheese, Red Onion, Horseradish Mustard, on Rye

You might call me crazy but this was arguably my favorite sandwich on the list.  Liverwurst is right there with bologna and a serious guilty pleasure of mine.  Also, not only is there spicy mustard on this sandwich, it's horseradish mustard which somehow worked even better than spicy brown mustard.  Please, do not be deterred by the scary disgusting germanic word, liverwurst 1000% plays as an elite deli sandwich meat and you cannot change my mind. 

3. The #11 Breaded Chicken Cutlet, Swiss Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Mayo 

You know what's better than a grilled chicken and bacon sandwich? A breaded chicken cutlet with bacon sandwich.  This is just a slight improvement to our sixth number on this list and it all comes down to the meat.  

2. The #15 Philly Cheesesteak with Onions

I know some of you might think this is a really boring choice for number two and I agree.  But this cheesesteak was for real! 

1. The #14 Roast Beef, Cheddar, Bacon, Russian Dressing, Tomato

Roast beef, bacon, cheddar.  This makes for a great sandwich everytime and when you have fresh ingredients like Brennan's this kind of sandwich will always be a crown jewel in my eyes.