TikTok has been taken over by a new food sensation, and this time it's…an enormous sandwich. Grinder is the New England name for what you might call a sub, hoagie, or hero, and my favorite of them all is the Italian combo (see my veggie version here).
Ingredients
- 1
loaf bread, such as Italian, ciabatta, or focaccia
- 4 oz.
provolone and/or fontina cheese, thinly sliced
- 4 oz.
ham, thinly sliced
- 8 oz.
cured Italian meat, such as capicola, soppressata, and/or salami
- 3/4 c.
mayonnaise
- 2
cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 2 tbsp.
red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp.
dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp.
red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp.
sugar
- 1
small head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1/2
medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 c.
cup giardiniera, roughly chopped
- 1/2 c.
sliced banana peppers
-
Freshly grated Parmesan and thick tomato slices, for serving
Description
- Step 1Preheat oven to 375º. Slice loaf in half lengthwise, then scoop out insides of each half, leaving a well; reserve insides for another use.
- Step 2Arrange hollowed-out halves on a sheet tray. Top one half with provolone and/or fontina, then the other with layers of ham and cured meat. Bake until cheese is melty and meat has started to blister, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Step 3While sandwich toasts, in a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, oregano, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and sugar until thoroughly combined.
- Step 4In a large bowl, toss lettuce, onion, giardiniera, and banana peppers. Add desired amount of dressing, then toss again until coated and thoroughly combined. (This should be a wet, mayo-y salad, so don’t be stingy on the dressing!)
- Step 5Top meat half of sandwich with a good dusting of Parmesan and tomatoes. Cover tomatoes with a good amount of grinder salad, then close with cheese half.
- Step 6Slice sandwich into servings. Serve with any remaining grinder salad and chips alongside.
