Philadelphia's Other Sandwich Masterpiece
When you think of Philly and sandwiches, the cheese steaks and hoagies for which the city is well known immediately come to mind. But there is a third sandwich that has recently gained notoriety and completes the Philadelphia sandwich triumvirate: the Italian roast pork and greens sandwich.
On my last trip to see a baseball game, I was reminded of this classic Philadelphia sandwich. Over the last few years, as sports stadiums started to offer regional favorites along with hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack, eating at the ballpark can be a dining experience with real local flavor. So at the Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park I was happy to find that among the crab spiced fries, soft pretzels, and, of course, cheese steaks, there was a stand sponsored by one of the renowned purveyors of these roast pork sandwiches.
Thin slices of slow roasted, Italian seasoned pork are usually complemented with sharp provolone cheese and an optional choice of flavorful greens, either broccoli rabe or garlicky spinach. Just like cheese steaks and hoagies, everything is piled together on a long soft roll so that it melts together into one unique flavor. It can be messy, but it sure tastes good.
The original branch of this Italian sandwich joint is located just under I-95 in South Philadelphia. If you want a no nonsense Italian American sandwich for lunch, this is the place. The restaurant also wins lots of awards for their cheese steaks and hoagies. But in my book, the roast pork is the one to get. There are a handful of other highly reputed places across the city, creating award-worthy pork and greens masterpieces, places which I have yet to try since the original has always been so good.
You can recreate this South Philly experience, without planning a road trip, fighting stadium crowds or breathing truck exhaust, at home with a few simple ingredients.
First, take a pork shoulder or butt and season it generously with salt, pepper, and plenty of chopped garlic and rosemary. Start early, because the pork has to cook slowly over low heat until it’s nearly falling off the bone. You can use a slow cooker or slowly roast it in your oven. After it is fully cooked, take your sharpest knife or slicer and slice the meat very thinly, discarding any fat. Return to the broth and keep warm, but do not cook any further.
Meanwhile cook your greens. If you go with broccoli rabe, blanch it for a few minutes in boiling water to take away some of the bitterness. If you use sweeter spinach you can skip that step. Sauté the greens in olive oil with a bit of chopped garlic and crushed red pepper. Then it’s time to construct your sandwich.
If you cannot find hoagie rolls in your hometown, you can go with any other type of long crusty sandwich roll, just make sure it’s substantial enough to hold the contents. The roll is just there as a vehicle to absorb all the juices and transport it to your mouth. Lay the provolone across the split roll, then top with slices of pork and greens, and let melt together.
The bitterness of the greens balances the pork’s saltiness, while the sharp provolone adds a bit of tang. Incidentally, if you have any vegetarians to feed, you can skip the pork. The combo of provolone and greens is still unique and flavorful.
Try this soulful sandwich with real personality, and you’ll see why Philadelphia is known as a sandwich city.
Made with pork shoulder, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, broccoli rabe, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian rolls
Serves/Makes: 6
- 3 pounds pork shoulder or butt, butterflied
- 3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe (called rapini in some supermarkets)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 crusty Italian rolls
- 1/2 pound sharp provolone cheese slices
- roasted hot peppers (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine garlic, rosemary, parsley, and salt and pepper. Spread pork on a clean work surface and season generously with herb garlic mixture. Roll and tie pork roast and place in roasting pan. Season outside of pork with more salt and pepper.
Cover with foil and roast pork for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Alternatively, cook pork in slow cooker on low heat for 4-6 hours.
Let pork rest for at least 15 minutes, remove ties, and slice as thinly as possible with sharp knife or deli slicer. Return to pan juices.
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Trim ends off of broccoli rabe and discard. Roughly chop flowered ends into large pieces. Blanch broccoli rabe in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until just tender then drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Remove from ice water, and drain off extra water.
In a skillet over medium heat, combine olive oil, garlic, and red pepper. Saute for one minute, or until garlic begins to turn golden. Add broccoli rabe and saute until all liquid evaporates, about five minutes.
Place 4 slices provolone on bottom half of each roll, and top with sliced pork. Add hot broccoli rabe. Serve with hot pepper, if desired.
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