The Best Italian Hoagie!! Mortadella, salami, turkey with provolone, Giardiniera, banana peppers, pickled red onions, lettuce, arugula and more! I’m no sandwich expert but I do love making sandwiches! Here’s one of my current favorites!
I’ve made this sandwich before but consider this one. . improved.
What’s the Difference Between a Hoagie, a Sub and a Grinder?
All information is from here: Source
“A hoagie is a bread roll sandwich piled high with deli meats, cheese, fixings and dressing, and is usually at least six inches long. The term ‘hoagie’ is most commonly used in Philadelphia and South Jersey, and has several possible origin stories.”
“One explanation for the name is its popularity with the Italian immigrants who worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, also known as ‘Hog Island’. The workers and their favorite sandwich were known as ‘hoggies,’ which changed over the years to ‘hoagies’. An alternative explanation also has the name starting out as ‘hoggies,’ but this time because you had to be a hog to eat such a big sandwich.”
“Hoagies are usually served cold, and because of their association with Italian American culture, they tend to be made using Italian ingredients. Italian bread rolls, salami and provolone cheese are all popular.”
‘Grinder’ is a New England term, used to differentiate sandwiches with hot fillings (i.e. meatballs or sausage) from those with cold fillings, which are typically referred to as subs. In Philadelphia, a grinder is a hoagie that is heated after assembly, whether the filling is made up of traditionally hot ingredients or not.
Like the hoagie, the grinder may have its origins among Italian-American laborers, this time in the dockyards of New England. ‘Grinders’ was Italian-American slang for dock workers, who spent much of their time grinding the rusty hulls of ships for repainting, and it is thought that the sandwich may take its name from them. Another origin story is simply that the crusty bread rolls were hard to chew, leading to much grinding of the teeth.”
All information is from here: Source
I’m calling this a Hoagie because of the bread I used and because now I live in PA. 🙂
The Best Italian Hoagie
Ingredients
For the salad/slaw:
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce shredded or chopped thin
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise + more if desired
- 1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup pepperoncinis chopped; optional
For the Italian Hoagie:
- 2 sub, hero or hoagie rolls* cut lengthwise; toasted if desired
- mayonnaise
- mustard
- 4 to 6 slices thinly sliced Italian cured meats, such as salami, prosciutto, mortadella, coppa and/or soppressata
- 2 to 4 slices turkey
- 2 to 4 slices provolone cheese
- pickled peppers, such as pepperoncini, banana peppers, giardiniera and/or jalapeños
- Quick Pickled Red Onions see recipe link below
- sliced tomatoes
- fresh arugula
- olive oil extra virgin
- salt and pepper if desired
Instructions
- For the salad/slaw: Using a large mixing bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until fully combined and set aside.
- To assemble the Italian Hoagie: spread some mayo on one side of the bread and some yellow mustard on the other side. On the mustard side, arrange your thinly sliced Italian cured meats and top with the turkey and provolone cheese.
- On the mayo side, top with the iceberg lettuce slaw, and then add the pickled peppers, banana peppers and Giardiniera, add the quick pickled red onions if using and top with the sliced tomatoes and the fresh arugula. Drizzle with olive oil and season the sandwich with salt and pepper. Repeat steps for the second sandwich. Close the sandwich, cut in half and enjoy!
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