Ham Stacks

Here's another fairly simple sandwich-as-a-meal idea. It's pretty involved for a sandwich, but is robust enough for dinner (and is easy in comparison to most other evening meals). Forgive the crumbs. Somehow at the time I thought they would make the sandwich in the photo look oh-so-appetizing.

This is another idea Bob gleaned from one of the many restaurants where he has worked. You will need the following ingredients:

Sliced French bread (we usually buy it from Costco, but you could also use Texas Toast or any other thick-sliced, fluffy bread)

Softened butter (we find that magic butter is perfect for this)

A small amount of grated parmesan cheese (we use 1/2 to 3/4 cup to make sandwiches for all of us, but you may require far less)

Deli sliced ham (we buy black forest hams and slice them ourselves, but you can just as easily ask the deli to shave it for you). You'll need about 1/8th of a pound or maybe just a little more per sandwich; I actually weigh it out on our kitchen scale and measure about 2/10ths of a pound per sandwich

Sliced Swiss cheese

Sliced tomatoes

Clean, torn lettuce leaves

Homemade thousand island dressing

You'll find that the method for making this sandwich has many similarities to our BFB recipe.

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread. It probably goes without saying, but you'll want two slices per sandwich. Sprinkle a bit of grated parmesan cheese on top of the butter and press it into the butter so it will stick (I use the back side of a small metal spatula to do it). For an example of what this should look like, see here. Set the bread aside for a few minutes.

2. Put the ham into small "stacks" or piles, portioned for each sandwich. Set the stacks aside.

3. Put the bread slices cheese side down on a hot griddle (I usually set it at 350 degrees). Let them cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the griddle and set aside.

4. Put the ham stacks on the griddle and let them cook until they turn ever so slightly brown. Then flip them over (keeping the stacks intact) and place a slice of Swiss cheese on top. The cheese should more or less cover the ham. Leave on the griddle until the cheese has melted, then carefully remove, keeping the ham and cheese in their "stack" formation.

5. Assemble the sandwiches. The cheesy side of the bread goes to the outside; place the ham on the inside of one slice of bread and the lettuce and tomato on the other side. Drizzle with homemade thousand island dressing (see below).

Don't be intimidated by the homemade dressing. It takes no more than five minutes to make, and includes ingredients that you are almost certain to have in the fridge. We usually put all of the makings on the counter and let everyone make their own. Here's the dressing recipe:

Thousand Island Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon finely minced white onions
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well. Place dressing in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours, stirring occasionally so that the sugar dissolves and the flavors blend.

Bahn Mi Sandwiches

Here is one of our favorite meals, staged for a photo on our favorite Correlle ware. And I haven't posted nearly as many birthday week dishes as I had hoped. What can I say? I've been busy cooking.

This is a meal that Bob prepared for Jenny's birthday. Driven by his love of Vietnamese food (see here), he figured out how to prepare Bahn Mi sandwiches. We've noticed that in large metropolitan areas, Bahn Mi's are quite hip, especially in areas like southern California where there are large Vietnamese populations. There are entire sandwich shops devoted to them. There are only one or two places in all of Utah to purchase them, so we make our own.

One thing I love about this meal is its historical significance. When I first heard of this dish I wondered how an Asian sandwich could be required to be on a French baguette. Then I remembered the French colonization of Vietnam in the first half of the 20th century. This is surely one of the best things that came out of that relationship.

At most of the Bahn Mi shops we've visited, the sandwiches are spread with chicken pate. Bob's not a fan of pate, so we make them without. When you eat this, you will see why it's Jenny's favorite meal. It's a combination of flavors that is unique and unbeatable.

Bahn Mi Sandwiches

2 pounds of pork shoulder, thinly sliced (we have found thinly sliced pork butt steaks or chops that are cheap and that worked quite well. You can also buy thinly sliced pork at the Mexican market. Or have the butcher thin-slice a butt or shoulder roast for you. This works a lot better if the roast is boneless.)

8 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons of sugar
5 tablespoons fish sauce (this is available at all Asian markets and some super markets. It stinks, but trust me when I say you will like the finished product)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper


Mix all of the ingredients except the pork. Stir well. Marinate the pork in the sauce for several hours. Then grill until lightly browned on the barbecue. Chop into small pieces.

Sandwich ingredients (in order of application):

A baguette, cut in half length-wise

Mayonnaise, spread on one side of the baguette
Grilled Pork, place on top of the mayonnaise
Cilantro, put a thin layer of leaves over the pork
Pickled carrots - marinate matchstick-sized carrots in the nuoc cham sauce
Nuoc cham sauce, see recipe below

On the other side of baguette:
Soy sauce, drizzled across the bread
Cucumber - layer a thin row of thinly sliced cucumbers
Red onion - thinly sliced, layered over the cucumbers
Black pepper - sprinkle over vegetables

Nuoc Cham Sauce
(Note: This is also an incredible egg roll dip)
¼ cup sugar

Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fish sauce
½ cup water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, thinly sliced or julienned (depending on your preference)
1-2 teaspoons chili paste

Mix together and drizzle over the sandwich. You will wonder how in the world something that smells like that can taste so good.

Meatloaf Sandwiches

No one believes me when I tell them they're going to like meatloaf sandwiches. But almost always after just one try, they are convinced.

Meatloaf sandwiches are a great use of meatloaf leftovers. Believe it or not, they are better when the meatloaf is cold. I like mine very plain--Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, meatloaf, and classic white bread. Bob, of course has improved upon my original "recipe." Here's his list of preferred ingredients.

Meatloaf Sandwich
2 slices white bread
Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise spread of both slices of bread (he did a taste test between the two today, which I believe was inconclusive)
Enough 1/4-inch sliced meatloaf to cover the bread
1 or 2 slices of dill pickle
1 or 2 slices of cheddar cheese
1 leaf of romaine lettuce (although I'm sure iceberg would also suffice)
Thinly sliced rings of red onion

Here's a photo to illustrate his construction process:

Egg Salad Sandwiches

This post is more of a meal idea than it is an actual recipe. This is a Sunday afternoon favorite at our house. It's an easy way to make everyone happy. Eggs have been comparatively cheap in all of the Thanksgiving sales, so we made up a batch this week.

Although some people like to keep their egg salad as little more than eggs and salad dressing or mayonnaise, we really like to put the salad in our egg salad sandwiches. Although we generally fall in the mayonnaise camp on the big mayonnaise vs. Miracle Whip debate (see here), this is one recipe that is really better with whipped salad dressing--the tanginess and sweetness are a great complement to the more neutral flavor of the eggs. So pick and choose from the ingredient possibilities below; we usually use the ones we happen to have on hand.

Also, we usually try to find fancy breads to complement our specialty sandwiches. But in this case I have to say that there's nothing like plain, white wonder-type bread from the grocery store.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

5-6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced

Choose from the following ingredients. Use 1-2 tablespoons of each and dice them small.

Celery

Yellow, red or green onions

pickles or relish (we especially like bread and butter pickles)

olives

Dressing:

1/4 cup Miracle Whip (use mayonnaise if you must, but you'll be missing out)

1-2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 teaspoon pickle juice or cider vinegar

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

salt and pepper to taste

Thoroughly mix dressing ingredients. Add to salad ingredients and stir until coated. Spread on white, sliced bread. Serves about 8.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

My mom got this recipe when she was volunteering at my first grade field day. I still remember her asking for it from one of the other moms who was helping out. I loved it growing up, and it's an easy meal that everyone in our family gets excited about.

As Bob and I have compared notes with other friends, we have discovered that Utah has its own unique brand of sloppy joes. This is it in its basic form. Bob added garnishes of sliced red onion and pickle chips--we tried bread and butter pickles tonight, and they were especially good. We almost always also serve the joes with barbecue potato chips.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. yellow mustard

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1 can chicken gumbo soup
2 T. catsup½ t. chili powder

Break hamburger into small pieces and brown in a medium sauce pan. Add onion just before the hamburger is brown. Drain fat from hamburger mixture and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

Pulled Pork

I'm a long-time fan of pulled pork. It's my favorite form of southern barbecue, with brisket a close second. I've attended a lot of gatherings where pulled pork is served. Sometimes the juiciness of the slow-roasted meat is overshadowed by the fact that it's drenched in bottled barbecue sauce.

Aside from basic cooking method (low and slow), there are two keys to great pulled pork: a great rub and the perfect sauce. This rub creates a spicy crust on the meat after you roast it all day. The sauce is sweet but understated. For me, it's the perfect combo.




Pulled Pork
1 3-4 pound pork butt roast (also known as shoulder roast or Boston butt)

For the rub:
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix ingredients together. This makes at least twice as much as you'll need for one roast. I keep some in the cupboard in an airtight container to save the work of re-creating the rub each time.

Rub pork with mixture the night before you intend to serve it. Store in a gallon plastic bag over night. In the morning, leave roast at room temperature for two hours and then re-rub. Place the meat in a 250-degree oven for 7 to 8 hours (internal temperature should be between 195 and 200 when done). Your house will smell great all afternoon, by the way. Cook meat until it is tender and falls apart easily.

For the sauce:
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup finely diced plum tomatoes
3 Tablespoons finely chopped onions (red are best)
2 Tablespoons pitted dates, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced

Combine ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until it reduces to 1 1/2 cups (this will take a couple of hours). Stir occasionally.

To serve:
Shred meat and place in a large bowl. Pour sauce in gradually; coat but don't drown. We like to serve it on crusty rolls or buns. It can also be served on tortillas.