Background: My appreciation for breakfast sandwiches on Italian rolls developed while I was working in generation station maintenance in Philadelphia. We spent a lot of time along the rivers and there were always sandwich shops nearby. This sandwich is based on a small shop just west of the Delaware river on Oregon avenue, which pumped these out all morning (like 6am) for everyone working along the river.

Ingredients:

6-8 oz pork roll cut into 4 even slices
2 Italian rolls split
2.5-3 oz. grated Asiago cheese
3 eggs
¼ cup half and half
1 tbsp olive oil
spray canola oil
2 cherry peppers cored chopped
3 tbsp barbeque sauce (personal choice)

Steps:

  1. Notch three sides of the pork roll (so it doesn’t curl in the pan) and cook in a non-stick pan sprayed with canola oil over medium low heat, turning often, until browned. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel and cut in half.
  2. While the pork roll is cooking, split the two rolls longways being sure not to break the “hinge”. Heat up a large pan or griddle, add the olive oil and lay in the rolls rotating a couple times (it’s good to use some weight for consistent browning). Once browned remove and lay on plates.
  3. Whisk the eggs together with half and half then pour into a wide preheated pan at medium low (I use the same pan that the rolls were browned in). Allow to cook until the top starts to dry up, add the cheese across the center from side to side, and once the edges just start to brown, flip one side towards the center, then the other side toward the center. Turn off the heat.
  4. Spoon the barbeques sauce on both sides of each roll, place 4 half pieces of pork roll on one side of the roll, then cut the omelet in half at the center and again longways (I just use my spatula in the pan). Place two sections of omelet on each roll, keeping the ends facing inside. Salt and pepper to taste, add the cherry peppers, cut, and serve.