Roast Pork Sandwich

When I say "Philly Sandwich" what do you think?  Probably Cheesesteak.  Well, you're right it's what that city is known for, but what you don't know, unless you're a native like me, is there's another sandwich native to that city, that put the Philly Cheesesteak in the dirt. It's the famous roast pork sandwich you can get at any place that serves up cheesesteaks, even Pat's and Gino's, although I should note that DiNic's is the current title holder for best sandwich in the city.  There are  a few different ways to do this sandwich.  Some places use broccolirabe and some use long hots (long spicy green chiles).  I'm using onions and long hots for this recipe.  This will make about 6 sandwiches, plus some for later. 

Sandwich Porn....

6 Italian style rolls, toasted

3 lb. pork butt

2 medium onion, cut in 1/2 inch slices

6-7 long hots, cut in 1/2 inch slices

Olive Oil for tossing

2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp. garlic powder (GHASP!!!!!)  Trust me.

1/2 pound sliced aged provolone or parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the crap in the can).

1.  Let me show you how to cut the onions and peppers.  You want them thick because you're going to roast them for a long time with that pork.  It might be smart to preheat your oven to 300 now too.  For the onions, cut the ends off, then peel it.  Go about 1/2 inch thick all the way down.  For the peppers, just lay down a half inch slice.  Take out the seeds if you want, but I'm leaving them in because i like it spicy.  

Cutting the peppers

Cutting the onions

2.  Toss your onions and pepper in a bowl with some salt and pepper, olive oil, garlic powder, and the herbs.  Lay them out in a deep roasting pan.  

3.  Lay your pork over your vegetables.  If it's a really thick butt, I like to cut it down into 1inch thick slices to cut down the cooking time.  Cover this well and let it roast for 2.5-3 hours.  You'll know the pork is ready because it will be falling apart.

4.  Before you do anything, DO NOT DRAIN THE JUICE!!!!!!!  Pull the pork in the roasting pan, so it stays with the juice and vegetables. 

PORK PORN!!!!!

5. When you're ready to eat, give the meat, onions, and peppers a good stir, grab a bun, lay some cheese on the bottom and spoon that beautiful meat mixture into the bun.  

6.  Devour

This is one of those recipes I actually won’t mess with much, because it's such a classic.  Every place has their own spin, but I usually keep with onions, pepper, and broccoli rape for my vegetables, and paremsan or provolone for my cheese.  The best thing about this recipe is you can make it a day ahead, let the meat sit in the juice overnight, and it's even better the next day.  As always, you got questions?  Leave 'em in the comments.

Happy Eating,

-The Doctor