Sandwiches

[ShayP]

This one's for @PolkaDot   *I did actually make this in the restaurant years ago.  I'll make my best attempt to remember.   

This will be a flatbread sandwich.  I know, flatbread pizzas are all the rage but the basic flatbread makes a nice alternative to a tortilla or regular bread.  The flatbread will be purchased at you favorite purveyor. (ShayP doesn't bake) Plain or garlic will work for this.  The meat of the sandwich will be carnitas.  I'll be using a 2-3 lb Boston Butt (pork). There are variations of carnitas but this will be of the pulled pork kind and finished to a crispy on the outside moist on the inside texture. 

Avocados, Red leaf lettuce, Jicama, and a special Pico de Gallo that will consist of jalapeno, red bell pepper, onion, mandarin oranges (canned), pineapple, and lime juice, with some added seasoning.  Let's assume we'll gather these at an organic grocer or even at your local farmer's market.   Wait!  What?  "Canned mandarin oranges" you say?  Relax, yes.  Even jarred. You can get those in organics or at regular store.  Just get them with the least amount of preservatives, etc.  These types of oranges are important to the flavor profile because the little plump, sweet and citrusy beauties add some pop.

Let's get to the roasted pork.  This will take some time.  4-5 hours in the oven at 270 degrees depending on the weight.  We'll assume that it's close to 3 pounds.
Put the pork in a roasting pan or anything that can hold it with room to spare.  This will be a basic rub and typically with carnitas you'd put Coke (the beverage) or orange juice in there.  Nope.  We're using beer.  Main reason is that there may be leftover pork (there will be) and I don't think everyone wants to eat the same flavor leftover all the time until it's gone.  This way you take enough for the sandwiche(s) and the rest of the pork can be turned into whatever you want.  Pulled pork BBQ, etc.

For the rub:  2 tbs cumin, 1/4 cup granulated garlic, 2 tbs black pepper, 1 tbs oregano, and 1/4 cup salt.  Mix together and massage it into the pork.  Try to coat the whole thing.  Grab 2 cans or bottles of your favorite beer.  No 'flavored' craft stuff or dark beers.  Just a good basic brew.  Shit...I've made this with PBR before, and it was good!  Poor the beer in.  Cover with a lid or 2 layers of aluminum foil.  Put in a preheated 270 degree oven.  Check after 4 hours and see if it is fork tender all the way through and starts to break apart.  It shouldn't lack liquid at this time because a good deal of fat will be rendered.  Once down, pull out and set aside.  Do not chill it.

Lets make some Pico.  Drain the mandarin oranges.  Oh, should've mentioned getting a 12 ounce can/jar if able.  Pour those in a bowl.  Core and removed the seeds from the jalapeno peppers (2 peppers) and red bell pepper (1 pepper).  Then slice and dice very small...along with the onion.  Not quite a mince but in tiny little bits.  Cut the fresh pineapple into chunks about the size of the oranges.  Put all of that in the bowl too.  I want the citrus flavor to stand out.  Take 2 limes and roll them on the table/counter with the palm of your hand until softened.  Cut each in half and squeeze the juice in the bowl.  Add a light pinch of salt and a few shakes of black pepper.  gently stir and refrigerate for an hour.  The heat from the jalapenos will nicely complement the fruit.  All of it combined will give you a nice blend of flavors and textures that marry well with this sandwich.

Now to the Jicama!  Not familiar with that.  It looks like an onion with the skin of celery root or a potato.  Very crunchy and tastes like water chestnut with a hint of apple.  Peel it.   Then cut it into matchstick size strips.  Not too small though.  We want to keep the crunch.

Pork is done.  Let's do the next step.  Grab a skillet or pan and pour enough vegetable oil in the base to give it a depth of 1/4 inch.  Pull some of the pork and press it into that pan until you have about a 1 inch thickness.  It will look like your typical pulled pork but we want to form it in the pan and get it crispy on the edges.  After that, turn on the heat to medium high.  Fry it until it is starting to get a nice dark amber crust.  Then CAREFULLY turn the meat over with a large spatula.  It should stay together.
 Brown that side like the first.  Remove and place on plate.  Absorb any excess oil with a paper towel. 

Warm your flatbread in a pan or oven and let's build this.  Oh my!  I forgot the avocado and lettuce.  Pull off a couple leaves of the red leaf lettuce. The most tender parts.  Halve the avocado, remove the pit, scoop the halves out, and cut into slices.

Place the warm flatbread on a plate.  Put the lettuce on followed by the Jicama.  Not too much of each since we have to fold this thing.  Depends on the size of the flatbread we're using.  Place avocado on top of the Jicama.  Now, cut little chunks of that fried pulled pork carnitas and place them across the middle.  As much as you'd like.  Grab the Pico and spoon it onto the pork.  Don't be afraid to spoon some of the pico juice on there to because we're not dressing this with anything else.  The pork will absorb all the flavors and moisture from that Pico.

Gently fold in half.  Put it is some parchment or wax paper if needed to hold it.  When pressed together and eaten you'll get various textures.  The crunch of the Jicama, the creaminess of the avocado, the savory flavor of the pork (the beer gives it a subtle malty richness too) and that sweet Pico with the heat from the peppers.  The lettuce gives a delicate base.  All of it is colorful and I feel all of the ingredients go together.

Hopefully you can imagine this and perhaps enjoy it.  That's the important part!  Anyway, as I feel the need to add, I may have missed a step or wasn't clear.  My apologies if so.

Cheers!

[Bart Ell]

This one's for @PolkaDot   *I did actually make this in the restaurant years ago.  I'll make my best attempt to remember.   

This will be a flatbread sandwich.  I know, flatbread pizzas are all the rage but the basic flatbread makes a nice alternative to a tortilla or regular bread.  The flatbread will be purchased at you favorite purveyor. (ShayP doesn't bake) Plain or garlic will work for this.  The meat of the sandwich will be carnitas.  I'll be using a 2-3 lb Boston Butt (pork). There are variations of carnitas but this will be of the pulled pork kind and finished to a crispy on the outside moist on the inside texture. 

Avocados, Red leaf lettuce, Jicama, and a special Pico de Gallo that will consist of jalapeno, red bell pepper, onion, mandarin oranges (canned), pineapple, and lime juice, with some added seasoning.  Let's assume we'll gather these at an organic grocer or even at your local farmer's market.   Wait!  What?  "Canned mandarin oranges" you say?  Relax, yes.  Even jarred. You can get those in organics or at regular store.  Just get them with the least amount of preservatives, etc.  These types of oranges are important to the flavor profile because the little plump, sweet and citrusy beauties add some pop.

Let's get to the roasted pork.  This will take some time.  4-5 hours in the oven at 270 degrees depending on the weight.  We'll assume that it's close to 3 pounds.
Put the pork in a roasting pan or anything that can hold it with room to spare.  This will be a basic rub and typically with carnitas you'd put Coke (the beverage) or orange juice in there.  Nope.  We're using beer.  Main reason is that there may be leftover pork (there will be) and I don't think everyone wants to eat the same flavor leftover all the time until it's gone.  This way you take enough for the sandwiche(s) and the rest of the pork can be turned into whatever you want.  Pulled pork BBQ, etc.

For the rub:  2 tbs cumin, 1/4 cup granulated garlic, 2 tbs black pepper, 1 tbs oregano, and 1/4 cup salt.  Mix together and massage it into the pork.  Try to coat the whole thing.  Grab 2 cans or bottles of your favorite beer.  No 'flavored' craft stuff or dark beers.  Just a good basic brew.  Shit...I've made this with PBR before, and it was good!  Poor the beer in.  Cover with a lid or 2 layers of aluminum foil.  Put in a preheated 270 degree oven.  Check after 4 hours and see if it is fork tender all the way through and starts to break apart.  It shouldn't lack liquid at this time because a good deal of fat will be rendered.  Once down, pull out and set aside.  Do not chill it.

Lets make some Pico.  Drain the mandarin oranges.  Oh, should've mentioned getting a 12 ounce can/jar if able.  Pour those in a bowl.  Core and removed the seeds from the jalapeno peppers (2 peppers) and red bell pepper (1 pepper).  Then slice and dice very small...along with the onion.  Not quite a mince but in tiny little bits.  Cut the fresh pineapple into chunks about the size of the oranges.  Put all of that in the bowl too.  I want the citrus flavor to stand out.  Take 2 limes and roll them on the table/counter with the palm of your hand until softened.  Cut each in half and squeeze the juice in the bowl.  Add a light pinch of salt and a few shakes of black pepper.  gently stir and refrigerate for an hour.  The heat from the jalapenos will nicely complement the fruit.  All of it combined will give you a nice blend of flavors and textures that marry well with this sandwich.

Now to the Jicama!  Not familiar with that.  It looks like an onion with the skin of celery root or a potato.  Very crunchy and tastes like water chestnut with a hint of apple.  Peel it.   Then cut it into matchstick size strips.  Not too small though.  We want to keep the crunch.

Pork is done.  Let's do the next step.  Grab a skillet or pan and pour enough vegetable oil in the base to give it a depth of 1/4 inch.  Pull some of the pork and press it into that pan until you have about a 1 inch thickness.  It will look like your typical pulled pork but we want to form it in the pan and get it crispy on the edges.  After that, turn on the heat to medium high.  Fry it until it is starting to get a nice dark amber crust.  Then CAREFULLY turn the meat over with a large spatula.  It should stay together.
 Brown that side like the first.  Remove and place on plate.  Absorb any excess oil with a paper towel. 

Warm your flatbread in a pan or oven and let's build this.  Oh my!  I forgot the avocado and lettuce.  Pull off a couple leaves of the red leaf lettuce. The most tender parts.  Halve the avocado, remove the pit, scoop the halves out, and cut into slices.

Place the warm flatbread on a plate.  Put the lettuce on followed by the Jicama.  Not too much of each since we have to fold this thing.  Depends on the size of the flatbread we're using.  Place avocado on top of the Jicama.  Now, cut little chunks of that fried pulled pork carnitas and place them across the middle.  As much as you'd like.  Grab the Pico and spoon it onto the pork.  Don't be afraid to spoon some of the pico juice on there to because we're not dressing this with anything else.  The pork will absorb all the flavors and moisture from that Pico.

Gently fold in half.  Put it is some parchment or wax paper if needed to hold it.  When pressed together and eaten you'll get various textures.  The crunch of the Jicama, the creaminess of the avocado, the savory flavor of the pork (the beer gives it a subtle malty richness too) and that sweet Pico with the heat from the peppers.  The lettuce gives a delicate base.  All of it is colorful and I feel all of the ingredients go together.

Hopefully you can imagine this and perhaps enjoy it.  That's the important part!  Anyway, as I feel the need to add, I may have missed a step or wasn't clear.  My apologies if so.

Cheers!

This is approaching HOF material, sir.

[JUAN]

I think that sandwich culturally appropriates everyone except to Inuits.

[ShayP]

This is approaching HOF material, sir.

I appreciate that.

[ShayP]

I think that sandwich culturally appropriates everyone except to Inuits.

Not so fast. @juan  I considered adding some fried or pickled Muktuk.  

[JUAN]

@ShayP if you were selling these sandwiches at a shop in a moderately prosperous area, what do you think you could charge for them?

[PolkaDot]

This one's for @PolkaDot   *I did actually make this in the restaurant years ago.  I'll make my best attempt to remember.   

This will be a flatbread sandwich.  I know, flatbread pizzas are all the rage but the basic flatbread makes a nice alternative to a tortilla or regular bread.  The flatbread will be purchased at you favorite purveyor. (ShayP doesn't bake) Plain or garlic will work for this.  The meat of the sandwich will be carnitas.  I'll be using a 2-3 lb Boston Butt (pork). There are variations of carnitas but this will be of the pulled pork kind and finished to a crispy on the outside moist on the inside texture. 

Avocados, Red leaf lettuce, Jicama, and a special Pico de Gallo that will consist of jalapeno, red bell pepper, onion, mandarin oranges (canned), pineapple, and lime juice, with some added seasoning.  Let's assume we'll gather these at an organic grocer or even at your local farmer's market.   Wait!  What?  "Canned mandarin oranges" you say?  Relax, yes.  Even jarred. You can get those in organics or at regular store.  Just get them with the least amount of preservatives, etc.  These types of oranges are important to the flavor profile because the little plump, sweet and citrusy beauties add some pop.

Let's get to the roasted pork.  This will take some time.  4-5 hours in the oven at 270 degrees depending on the weight.  We'll assume that it's close to 3 pounds.
Put the pork in a roasting pan or anything that can hold it with room to spare.  This will be a basic rub and typically with carnitas you'd put Coke (the beverage) or orange juice in there.  Nope.  We're using beer.  Main reason is that there may be leftover pork (there will be) and I don't think everyone wants to eat the same flavor leftover all the time until it's gone.  This way you take enough for the sandwiche(s) and the rest of the pork can be turned into whatever you want.  Pulled pork BBQ, etc.

For the rub:  2 tbs cumin, 1/4 cup granulated garlic, 2 tbs black pepper, 1 tbs oregano, and 1/4 cup salt.  Mix together and massage it into the pork.  Try to coat the whole thing.  Grab 2 cans or bottles of your favorite beer.  No 'flavored' craft stuff or dark beers.  Just a good basic brew.  Shit...I've made this with PBR before, and it was good!  Poor the beer in.  Cover with a lid or 2 layers of aluminum foil.  Put in a preheated 270 degree oven.  Check after 4 hours and see if it is fork tender all the way through and starts to break apart.  It shouldn't lack liquid at this time because a good deal of fat will be rendered.  Once down, pull out and set aside.  Do not chill it.

Lets make some Pico.  Drain the mandarin oranges.  Oh, should've mentioned getting a 12 ounce can/jar if able.  Pour those in a bowl.  Core and removed the seeds from the jalapeno peppers (2 peppers) and red bell pepper (1 pepper).  Then slice and dice very small...along with the onion.  Not quite a mince but in tiny little bits.  Cut the fresh pineapple into chunks about the size of the oranges.  Put all of that in the bowl too.  I want the citrus flavor to stand out.  Take 2 limes and roll them on the table/counter with the palm of your hand until softened.  Cut each in half and squeeze the juice in the bowl.  Add a light pinch of salt and a few shakes of black pepper.  gently stir and refrigerate for an hour.  The heat from the jalapenos will nicely complement the fruit.  All of it combined will give you a nice blend of flavors and textures that marry well with this sandwich.

Now to the Jicama!  Not familiar with that.  It looks like an onion with the skin of celery root or a potato.  Very crunchy and tastes like water chestnut with a hint of apple.  Peel it.   Then cut it into matchstick size strips.  Not too small though.  We want to keep the crunch.

Pork is done.  Let's do the next step.  Grab a skillet or pan and pour enough vegetable oil in the base to give it a depth of 1/4 inch.  Pull some of the pork and press it into that pan until you have about a 1 inch thickness.  It will look like your typical pulled pork but we want to form it in the pan and get it crispy on the edges.  After that, turn on the heat to medium high.  Fry it until it is starting to get a nice dark amber crust.  Then CAREFULLY turn the meat over with a large spatula.  It should stay together.
 Brown that side like the first.  Remove and place on plate.  Absorb any excess oil with a paper towel. 

Warm your flatbread in a pan or oven and let's build this.  Oh my!  I forgot the avocado and lettuce.  Pull off a couple leaves of the red leaf lettuce. The most tender parts.  Halve the avocado, remove the pit, scoop the halves out, and cut into slices.

Place the warm flatbread on a plate.  Put the lettuce on followed by the Jicama.  Not too much of each since we have to fold this thing.  Depends on the size of the flatbread we're using.  Place avocado on top of the Jicama.  Now, cut little chunks of that fried pulled pork carnitas and place them across the middle.  As much as you'd like.  Grab the Pico and spoon it onto the pork.  Don't be afraid to spoon some of the pico juice on there to because we're not dressing this with anything else.  The pork will absorb all the flavors and moisture from that Pico.

Gently fold in half.  Put it is some parchment or wax paper if needed to hold it.  When pressed together and eaten you'll get various textures.  The crunch of the Jicama, the creaminess of the avocado, the savory flavor of the pork (the beer gives it a subtle malty richness too) and that sweet Pico with the heat from the peppers.  The lettuce gives a delicate base.  All of it is colorful and I feel all of the ingredients go together.

Hopefully you can imagine this and perhaps enjoy it.  That's the important part!  Anyway, as I feel the need to add, I may have missed a step or wasn't clear.  My apologies if so.

Cheers!

OH    MY    GOD!!!!!!! I LOVE this! I might give this a go, it sounds delicious.
Thank you! And @ShayP will you marry me? 

[ShayP]

@ShayP if you were selling these sandwiches at a shop in a moderately prosperous area, what do you think you could charge for them?

@juan  I'll use PolkaDot's sandwich as example.  I know I could use all those ingredients in other menu items and keep my food cost where it would need to be.  Of course the portioning would be more strict than what I rattle off in my descriptions.  So, I'd sell that on a lunch menu for $9 with a side item included. 

Now some of the other ones like yours and KSM's where I did my own meat blends for the burger and the 'bratwurst' style patty it would be higher.  I'd go with $10 for yours, and $11 for KSM's.  Labor in creating each one and it's components is different.  Another instance is that in yours I also candied the Datil peppers.  That's a pretty specific ingredient and I probably wouldn't use it in other dishes.  Well, perhaps in a dinner item.

I could go on but it would turn out to be utterly boring and each word would just turn into 'blah blah blah blah.'   

The bottom line is I'd have to cost out each ingredient before putting it on a menu and then go from there.

[ShayP]

OH    MY    GOD!!!!!!! I LOVE this! I might give this a go, it sounds delicious.
Thank you! And @ShayP will you marry me? 

GLAD YOU LIKE IT! 

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[JUAN]

@ShayP They appear to me, who has never worked in a restaurant, to be labor intensive, too, but maybe not.  I wondered if something like that would be commercially viable.  Those prices are in line with the better sub shops here and a little lower than the local fusion lunch places, though those have some kind of side with them.

[ShayP]

@ShayP They appear to me, who has never worked in a restaurant, to be labor intensive, too, but maybe not.  I wondered if something like that would be commercially viable.  Those prices are in line with the better sub shops here and a little lower than the local fusion lunch places, though those have some kind of side with them.

@juan The preparation of the components is labor intensive, but manageable.  If I'm grinding my own meats and making sausage, etc., I (we) can knock out a batch that will last 3 days before we turn it over.  Those are raw items.  Things like brining meats and then cooking them keep longer.  It'll take a day to do a bunch of chicken, turkey breast, roast beef, pork, etc.  Those, like I do, don't have added preservatives so we'd made sure we'd have to make more by day 5.  I tried not to keep too much in the refrigerator for to long.  Definitely didn't want to break food safety protocols.

Even with the other items, and specialty ingredients (i.e. candied peppers, sauces, dressings, the mushroom duxelles I mentioned in KSM's burger, etc.) they can be made and kept for a few days.  Of course all of it has to be stored properly, and then cooked and/or presented properly per order.  I could keep the candied pepper for a few weeks when stored properly.

Commercially viable? As in big chain restaurants?  They could do it but the cost of the sandwich most likely will be very high.  Some places won't want to spend the labor dollars on doing it from scratch and would outsource it.  Then you'd get a processed product.  Say, the carnitas for instance. They'd order it from a food service and reheat it. The things I'm posting are more conducive to a small establishment and, in my opinion, most easily manageable.  plus I believe the quality is better.  A specialty lunch place, Café, or even a specialty grocer that has a kitchen and offers such things. 

The sandwich I made for PolkaDot would probably be $12 at a chain place like Applebee's, TGIF, or Cheesecake Factory.  If I had my own Café now, like I said before, I'd charge $9, and you'd get a side too.   Most likely it wouldn't be French fries though.  At the last two places I worked we didn't have a deep fryer.  The way the menus were constructed we didn't need one.  Fortunately we had patrons who didn't fuss about the lack of French fries and were happy with the other options.

[Ciardelo]

Ok, so no deep fryers. Hm. How do you feel about microwave ovens @ShayP?

I'll admit that used properly, they can be a real time-saver for me. But I know some chefs hate them with a passion.

To me, they are just another tool to use in the kitchen, much like food steamers or bain-maries are.

[ShayP]

Well, I knocked out one for @Ciardelo

Let's start with the bread.  Pumpernickel.  Yep, that's right.  And this will be a knife an fork sandwich.  Open faced.  Sort of like the "Hot Brown" that was famous...but not exactly.

Cheese?  We're using a Swiss called Emmental, and I'm using that to make a Mornay sauce.

Meats will be a boneless chicken breast (thin cutlet) and a couple slices of Westphalian ham. We can find it at a good deli.  What makes the ham special is the pigs are feed acorns and chestnuts.  The meat is smoked over beechwood and something else.  I can't remember!  I just know its good!

We will procure a leek and some asparagus.  That being said, with the leeks they need to be cleaned.  Toward the bottom they collect dirt and sand.  Cross cut them and soak in water, then rinse the leeks to remove the grime.  We are using the white/pale green parts.  Discard the big green parts unless you make stock and want to use them.  After the leeks are cleaned an patted dry with a paper towel, slice them thin.  The asparagus?  Trim off the bottoms.  Discard all that 'woody' stuff.

We're gonna need some horseradish too.  So, whatever you like. There are mild and hot versions.  Also some paprika.  Also, a tomato...sliced.

Grab the chicken breast and give it a few pinches of salt and pepper.  If you have a meat mallet then beat it thin.  Use your fist if you need to.  Whisk a couple eggs and dip the chicken in there, the lightly dust in flour.  Immediately put it in a preheated pan and cook until done, lightly browning both sides.  Het the ham slice in pan.  Set aside.

Place the leeks in a pan and cook over medium heat until the softened, then add the asparagus spears.  It's okay if the leeks get really soft.  We want the asparagus to soften as well so ignore the leeks while the asparagus is in the pan.  The leeks should be almost caramelized an I want the asparagus to get a slight char,..

Let's make the Mornay sauce.  Put 3 tbs butter in pan, bring to medium heat.  Add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk frequently until flour the mixture is uniform, starts to brown a bit, and glistens.  Keep the heat on and whisk in 2 cups of milk.  keep going until it starts to thicken.  Give a small pinch of nutmeg and white ground pepper, and a tsp of salt. Keep whisking.  Then toss in 1 cup of the Emmental cheese.  (shredded)  Stir until you have a luxurious cheese sauce.

Toast the pumpernickel (2 slices) then shingle on a plate.  Smear some Horseradish on the slices.  Place the chicken breast , then the ham.  Then add the leeks and asparagus.  Pour the Mornay sauce across the sandwich and sprinkle paprika.  AND!  Sprinkle a little more cheese on there, add the sliced tomatoes, and broil until it starts to bubble.  Do not burn.   Grab a knife and fork!  Dig in.  Add some more bread if you like.  Skip the diet for one day.   

Serve with a side of red beets or pickles of your liking.

[ShayP]

Ok, so no deep fryers. Hm. How do you feel about microwave ovens @ShayP?

I'll admit that used properly, they can be a real time-saver for me. But I know some chefs hate them with a passion.

To me, they are just another tool to use in the kitchen, much like food steamers or bain-maries are.

I'm not responding to this right now. @Ciradelo.  Hopefully you like the sandwich creation I made you.  I may have gone too far.  I still feel you would like it.   

I lied.  I am responding.  No microwaves in the kitchen.    Well, at home it's fine.  just not in restaurants.    I'm not adverse to deep fryers but I got comfortable not having them.  I would need it though on that Lenten fried fish Friday!   

[ShayP]

I think @FISH may be next.  Hmmm...