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How To Make a Proper Italian Sandwich


Photo of a standard-sized sandwich from M&P Biancamano in Hoboken, NJ.

Peanut butter is my primary food passion; Dark chocolate is second; A proper Italian sub is a close third. Being at position #3 means that I don’t mess around when it comes to sandwiches. The essential criteria are: quality ingredients, gi-nor-mous, and made by an Italian. Nowhere else in the world have I found better sandwiches than from the Italian delis in the New York City area. And if you want the best fresh mozzarella to put on that sandwich, you need to come to Hoboken. In fact, search Google for the cheese we’ve dubbed “Fresh Mutz” (complete with Jersey accent) and almost every result is related to Hoboken. Hungry yet? Here’s how to make your own.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of fresh, crusty Italian bread or Baguette
1 lb roast beef (or other deli meat or grilled balsamic chicken)
1/2 lb fresh mutz (aka: muzz, mozz, mozzarella)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 ripe tomato, sliced
Fistful of roasted red peppers*
Fistful of sundried tomatoes*
Fistful of roasted portabella mushrooms*
Honey mustard, balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing
Au Jus or Gravy (optional)

* If your hand is too small to grasp a significant quantity, use a baseball glove or a shovel to measure these ingredients.

Directions:

Step 1 (Construction). Cut off a 6-12″ chunk of bread, depending on your hunger level. Slice the bread lengthwise but don’t cut through the other side. Open the bread and scoop about half of the insides out with your hand (this step is critical for any chance of fitting everything on). Spread the honey mustard or dressing of your choice onto each side of the bread. Pile on the meat. Cut the fresh mutz into 1/2″ thick slices and place on top of the meat. Then layer the lettuce, tomato, portabella mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and roasted peppers on top. Pour gravy on top, if using (and get your bib). Do Not Attempt to Close the Sandwich – if constructed properly, this will be impossible.

Step 2 (Consumption). Slice in half. Attempt to eat both halves. Knife and Fork are permissible.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size Varies
Servings per Batch Between 1 and 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories Do you really want to know?