Unusual Sandwiches
I suspect it was the creation of a hungry- possibly drunk- bachelor, a mad scientist, a kid under 8, or a chef drank a “Love (Unusual Food Combinations) Potion”.
(Note: those things are not mutually exclusive.)
(Note: those things are not mutually exclusive.)
A few days ago, I had an “Untidy Joseph” for breakfast. It’s basically the same as a Sloppy Joe, but not as messy. I had some leftover BBQ brisket & pulled pork from a local chain, which I mixed together & reheated in a mug with some extra bbq sauce (some of my own hommmade). I also had some mild sourdough Rome WinCo. Not sure if it’s their house brand, but it’s HUGE- each slice is as big as 2 pieces of bread in surface area. This I toasted, then smeared with spicy brown mustard and seasoned liberally with garlic pepper. Then I dolloped on the meat mix, and cut it in half.
Because of the sheer size of the bread, the meat was spread thinly enough that it really couldn’t ooze out more quickly than I could eat it. So I got all the flavors, almost none of the mess.
Since I like to read while I eat solo, that’s a good thing. VERY good.
Because of the sheer size of the bread, the meat was spread thinly enough that it really couldn’t ooze out more quickly than I could eat it. So I got all the flavors, almost none of the mess.
Since I like to read while I eat solo, that’s a good thing. VERY good.
All through fourth and fifth grade, if I recall correctly, I made the same sandwich, to take to school and eat for lunch, five days a week. Peanut butter, a slice of cheese, alfalfa sprouts, wheat germ powder, on raisin bread.
I have no idea why. I guess one day those were the materials at hand, and it worked so I stuck with it. Not broke, don't fix, eh?
I was an oddball child. A friend once said that of the three strangest people she knew, I was probably five of them. That could have a connection to my interest in D&D. Surely I'm not the only one here, who was something of an oddball, at one age or another?
I have no idea why. I guess one day those were the materials at hand, and it worked so I stuck with it. Not broke, don't fix, eh?
I was an oddball child. A friend once said that of the three strangest people she knew, I was probably five of them. That could have a connection to my interest in D&D. Surely I'm not the only one here, who was something of an oddball, at one age or another?
Today’s experiment: Earl Campbell Hot links, split open, covered with sautéed onions, smoked gruyere cheese, mayo & mustard on a hamburger bun. I was going to add guacamole, but forgot.
Very tasty, and would have worked just as well as a substitute hot dog.
Very tasty, and would have worked just as well as a substitute hot dog.
Took a slim slice of my recently cooked prime rib roast and placed it on an onion roll with D&W Steakhiuse Onion Cheddar, Guilden’s brown mustard, mayo, a drizzle of A-1, and a sliced Campari tomato.
Was delish.
Was delish.
Admittedly, not really a sandwich, but I am proud of the thought process I put in this one.
My goal was "cheeseburger quesadilla" on a few minutes notice, with what was present in the house.
First hurdle - no american cheese in the house. And straight cheddar does not actually hit the mark properly in terms of texture or flavor fro a classic burger. However, a mix of shredded cheddar and Gouda does the trick.
Next hurdle - Tomatoes, when cooked, release far too much water to be used in a quesadilla. Substitute jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed, dried, and chopped small but not fine.
Dill pickle, copped just short of fine, will also be called for.
Now, the meat is where technique matters. Some folks (including myself, in the past) make hamburger by making what amounts to a meatloaf mixture. This can yield a really tasty product, but really requires you do a large patty, which isn't what I wanted here. Some folks make a patty out of plain ground beef, and that also is a mistake - they miss the only crucial ingredients, salt and pepper.
So, ground beef, 85% lean, with about 1 tsp of coarse kosher salt (not standard salt, that will be way too much!), and a bit more pepper than you think it should need. Toss to combine thoroughly, but don't make into a patty. Toss into a hot frying pan and crumble, but do not overcrowd the pan - you want maybe a half-pound of meat in a 12" skillet - more than that and the released moisture will stop the browning process that produces much of the flavor - the Maillard reaction doesn't happen in the presence of water. Cook until fully browned.
Now, assemble the quesadilla from the above, and cook as usual. Serve with a ketchup dipping sauce.
My goal was "cheeseburger quesadilla" on a few minutes notice, with what was present in the house.
First hurdle - no american cheese in the house. And straight cheddar does not actually hit the mark properly in terms of texture or flavor fro a classic burger. However, a mix of shredded cheddar and Gouda does the trick.
Next hurdle - Tomatoes, when cooked, release far too much water to be used in a quesadilla. Substitute jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed, dried, and chopped small but not fine.
Dill pickle, copped just short of fine, will also be called for.
Now, the meat is where technique matters. Some folks (including myself, in the past) make hamburger by making what amounts to a meatloaf mixture. This can yield a really tasty product, but really requires you do a large patty, which isn't what I wanted here. Some folks make a patty out of plain ground beef, and that also is a mistake - they miss the only crucial ingredients, salt and pepper.
So, ground beef, 85% lean, with about 1 tsp of coarse kosher salt (not standard salt, that will be way too much!), and a bit more pepper than you think it should need. Toss to combine thoroughly, but don't make into a patty. Toss into a hot frying pan and crumble, but do not overcrowd the pan - you want maybe a half-pound of meat in a 12" skillet - more than that and the released moisture will stop the browning process that produces much of the flavor - the Maillard reaction doesn't happen in the presence of water. Cook until fully browned.
Now, assemble the quesadilla from the above, and cook as usual. Serve with a ketchup dipping sauce.
Sounds like tasty fun!
Did you you’d proper tortillas, or were you forced to improvise on that, too?
Did you you’d proper tortillas, or were you forced to improvise on that, too?
Last edited:
I had proper enough (store bought) flour tortillas, thank goodness. Tortillas are one of the world's simplest breads, but making them well takes a lot of practice.
Too true.
