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Sandwiches
What is it about the Sandwich that pleases us Homo Sapiens so much? Is it the combination of hearty foods in an easy to transport package? Is it the wide variety of options we have in making them? Or is it just a cheap way to not starve?
Discuss your favorite kinds of sandwiches, breads, condiments, cheeses, spreads, and meats here.
/cheesy topic opener
Discuss your favorite kinds of sandwiches, breads, condiments, cheeses, spreads, and meats here.
/cheesy topic opener
Comments
As far as meats go, corned beef and hot pastrami are the kings. Beef follows next, preferably a homemade roast that you later slice into slabs. Deli-sliced roast beef is good for subs, and while I do use it for sandwiches, I do accept it as an inferior sandwich meat. Ham and turkey, while both excellent meats, don't make the heartiest of sandwiches. They'll get you by, but if you're in a true sandwich mood, I'd avoid them unless you're grilling them or doing some other funky thing.
American cheese is shit, and you shouldn't use it for anything except, possibly, a very basic quick and dirty grilled cheese sandwich. Even then, I'd take a real cheese over that crap. Muenster, monterey jack, and cheddar all do well with typical beef, swiss is practically a necessity for corned beef or pastrami, and provolone or mozzarella work well with any Italian meat. If you're going to use ham, I recommend going a bit exotic and grabbing some havarti; for turkey, a smoked cheese (especially smoked cheddar or gouda) is an excellent way to go. At no time should you use fresh cheese on a sandwich, unless it's fresh mozzarella with some roasted red peppers and some good prosciutto and salami. Bacon is best on turkey or ham, and is an excellent way to beef up those meats.
Condiments are a must, but must be used in the correct proportion. Too much condiment ruins a sandwich; too little will not convey the flavors properly. Mayo is a good standby, and works on most things. I wouldn't put mayo on Italian meats, corned beef, or pastrami. The Italian meats benefit from something a bit less fatty and more flavorful (olive oil, basalmic vinegar, oregano and basil is a great way to start), whereas corned beef and pastrami simply beg for hearty stone-ground mustard. Heavier meats need something with more substantial texture and flavor, hence mayo on beef. Horseradish goes with plain beef or anything rich and smoky; try making a grilled cheese sandwich using horseradish cheddar and bacon and you'll see what I mean.
Vegetables are a must. Lettuce, tomato, and onion (red onion only) are the classics, but I prefer to eschew lettuce in favor of baby spinach leaves. They add a different flavor and actual nutritional content. Do not, under any circumstances, use sprouts of any kind. Pickles are good in sandwiches that don't already have a bit of tang, especially chicken breast or roast beef. Corned beef and pastrami should not be tainted by the inferior likes of vegetation, unless in the form of pickled cabbage.
When in doubt, experiment. That's what it's really all about. Find out how various flavor combinations work together, and give it a whirl. One of the best subs I ever made consisted of honey roasted turkey, mozzarella cheese, black olives, and honey mustard, toasted onto garlic bread.
By the way, if you want a good Italian mix sub, find an Italian deli somewhere; you'll know you've found a good one when you see sausages hanging from the ceiling and various kinds of ridiculously powerful cheese on display. Get prosciutto from these places; it'll be the best thing ever.
Working in a deli for 3 years teaches you a lot about sandwiches.
For about two weeks, the wife and I have been living on turkey sandwiches. We had a sudden craving and did some serious deli-ing. We bought a selection of mesquite, buttered, roasted, and peppered turkey, colby cheese, pepperjack, and swiss. Then we went hunting for the perfect bread at the bakery and came away with some seriously thickly-crusted italian that was a bit aged. It's not stale; it's just a bit tough so that it is nice and firm and doesn't get all sticky and clumpy in your mouth like white bread can.
I give mad props to The Whale Shark for his book post up above, but where he is concerned with flavor balancing I like to pay attention to texture. You have to have the rough bread; the firm and thick cheese; the really, really tender meat; some crunch from pickles or vidalia onions; the crisp of a cold, just-ripe tomato; and cool, dry lettuce. You don't want the sandwich to be so juicy that it's runny, but it has to squirt a little when you bite in.
Please don't judge me.
If I had a time machine one of the places I would stop off at would be the construction of the first sandwich.
Cool things you learn about on wikipedia: Hawaii was originally called the sandwich islands.
As for deli-style sandwiches, Shay and I only eat either whole wheat or German rye breads. She likes the roast beef with Swiss, with lettuce, pickles, mayo and mustard. I, personally, prefer mesquite chicken with colby jack, or black pepper turkey and edam, with bacon, BBQ sauce or maybe some watered down ranch.
Freshness of ingredients is definitely important with the vegetables especially. The thing is, using non-fresh vegetables won't detract from the taste, it just won't add anything. You just might as well not put it on there. (Remember, though, IANAC)