Two Street Grinder

Growing up in Philadelphia the hoagie, like the cheesesteak, is part of the cultural fabric of the city. Its origin comes from lunch the shipyard workers at Hog Island (on the Delaware River) would eat and was originally called the “Hoggie” however the Philly accent transformed it to “Hoagie” over the years. In South Philly there was a deli or pizza restaurant on almost every corner, and if they had a pizza oven you could ask for it toasted which was called a “Grinder”-which is my preferred version. Over time I’ve tried several different variations and finally landed on this one, including Amoroso rolls shipped in fresh from the East Coast through “WebstaurantStore”, which really gives the sandwich that “Philly” taste.

The Recipe

    1. Ingredients: 2 medium Italian rolls; Boars Head Deli Dressing; Cento Cherry Pepper Hoagie Spread; 6 slices Provolone; 8 slices pepperoni; 6 slices hot Capicola; 4 slices black forest ham or similar; ¼ cup of finely chopped onions; 2-3 Romaine lettuce leaves cored and chopped; 2 Roma tomatoes cored and chopped (and or cherry tomatoes); red wine vinegar.
      1. Slice the rolls and gently roll them over to not break the “hinge”. Spread a line of Boars Head deli dressing on the thick half and spread the Cento cherry pepper spread on the thinner half. Place them on a baking sheet.
      2. Build each sandwich by first placing the Provolone cheese on the bottom (to support the “hinge”), then place the pepperoni on one side of the roll, the capicola on the other, then the ham down the middle.
      3. Turn the oven on to 350 F, then soak the tomatoes in red wine vinegar for a few minutes on the cutting board. Sprinkle the chopped onions on both sandwiches, then the lettuce, and finally the tomatoes then add salt and pepper.
      4. Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes, rotating once, then pull them out to plate, cut in half and serve.

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