40 Sandwiches

by imothyt
Cucumber tea with avocado and lime on homemade 100% whole wheat Hokkaido Milk bread

Eight months ago I made a joke on twitter. Someone posted a picture of 40 different sandwiches titled “Encyclopedia of Sandwiches” and told people to tag themselves. Most folks picked one or two favorites but I would have had a hard time nailing down just one or two sandwiches, I said, I like them all, I’m “polysamourous”.

That got me to thinking. What if I made every sandwich on the board? And what if I made the bread for every sandwich? It would be a great way to practice my bread making. And who doesn’t like sandwiches?

At first I thought I could do it in 40 nights but when I went to make a croissant for the bacon, egg, and cheese, it was a huge fail. So, I decided to take my time a bit and ruminate over every sandwich – at least spend some time getting them right. It took me 8 months but this week I finally finished making all 40 sandwiches from the Encyclopedia of Sandwiches.

This post is a bit difficult to organize because, as it turns out, 40 sandwiches is a shit-load of information. The bread alone could be an entire book, not just a blog post. It could be 40 blog posts. It should be 40 blog posts.

Then there’s the sandwich itself. Each sandwich on this list deserves its own post. And in fact, all of these sandwiches have dozens of YouTubes, blogs, and so on dedicated to them. Every YouTube personality has made a “how to make a Reuben” video. And some of them are even good. But the sheer number of sites out there that teach you how to make every sandwich begs the question as to what I would be adding at this point? Maybe if I really rocked the boat on online food recipes – don’t tell a story, don’t make the posts super long for SEO optimization, just post the fucking recipe. You know, like a real cook book? If the recipes were good, I think that would be adding something to the world (ironically, by taking away!)

Also, my site is unique in that it’s not covered in millions of ads. Maybe I will give it a go. See how it turns out.

I’ve been asked to rank the sandwiches and I wouldn’t have a huge problem doing that except that I know that no matter what I say, I will just generate controversy. For example, I personally am not a huge fan of the Croque Madame. Oh I get why people like it, it’s a bad ass sandwich, and I think I did it justice. But for me, a lot of these sandwiches are very “one note”: they just go for the roundness of something fatty. Croque Madame does try to cut through that with some dijon mustard but it’s overwhelmed by the egg, cheese, and bechamel.

Croque Madame: pullman loaf

There’s a similar problem with the Kentucky Hot Brown. These sandwiches are great hangover food but since I don’t do hangovers anymore they are actually kind of overwhelming. These sandwiches are great for eating and then taking a nap.

I prefer something that dances. The Bahn Mi sandwich for example. Wow. It has everything: fatty pork belly that’s been cooked with tangy sweet and salty brine, pickled daikon and carrot which are sweet and funky, fresh herbs to give a little extra kick and if you really want to make it traditional, you can put some pate in there.

Pork Belly Banh Mi on homemade French bread

And the bread for Banh Mi is just as important as all the other ingredients. It has to be light and fluffy but chewy! It took me so many tries to get this right and I still struggle sometimes but when I get the French Bread just right, it’s heavenly.

And if you want to take Banh Mi to another level, make it with Chef Roy Choi’s spicy pork:

There are a lot of good sandwiches on this list and while Banh Mi is at the top, Lobster Roll is my favorite. It shouldn’t be because I just complained about sandwiches being too “one note” but when that one note is “lobster”, it’s not bad! I definitely want to revisit this sandwich. I apparently got too small a lobster because after cooking it and shelling it, I barely filled my New England hotdog buns.

Lobster looking paltry! The buns weren’t that big I swear!

I’ve blabbed on long enough. I’ll come back and post some more sandwiches in the future, with bread recipes. No long stories about them, none of that. But I will warn you now; my bread recipes require a specific set up. You will need a kitchen scale, baking stone, and some way to inject steam (I have a pan in the bottom of my oven). So, I don’t know how useful they will be to you. But let’s see.

Qq

62 comments

        1. Ok.

          I have to do it two ways: just butter and lobster salad.

          I have an idea for the bread which will break the “mold” a bit.

  2. Thanks a lot, Tim. Now I need a full roll of paper towels to clean up all the saliva on my computer desk.

  3. I live in the area where we’re spoiled with good food in general but mostly huge variety of chicken wings (surprise, surprise), and … subs. There’s a very large Italian community here, and a ton of small pizzerias that make kickass sandwiches. Here’s the sub menu of my favorite place which I think you might find interesting, Tim.

    http://www.guidaspizzeria.com/sub-sandwiches-rochester-ny/

  4. Damn, they all look tasty, Tim.
    What’s polysamourous?
    Is that anything like polyamorous but with sandwiches?

  5. I will never know how the thread didn’t go viral. It deserves an award. As you say you could literally write a book about it. If I had to choose one it would have to be bagel with smoked salmon & cream cheese. I’d add red onion and capers and it would be my death row last meal choice.

  6. Goddam, that Banh Mi with Chef Roy Choi’s spicy pork looks like just the thing you need after a really good (like tantric-level) sex session…

  7. Damn, the Banh Mi with Chef Roy Choi’s spicy pork looks like just the thing you need after a really good (like tantric-level) sex session…

  9. Congrats on your achievement. I favour the croque monsieur over the madame and make a killer one you would love.

    If a sandwich was your last meal, which would you choose?

  10. “…when I get the French Bread just right, it’s heavenly”
    The best thing about your pictures is the bread IMHO. Having spent lots of time in France, I reckon any sandwich made with fresh baguette is top of my list. It’s very hard to find the real deal here in the States, we used to have a local Belgian bakery that did a great version and I was a loaf-a-day man until they closed, after which I lost 15lbs. I heard that the French Culture Minister is pushing to have the Baguette listed as a UNESCO cultural treasure, who could argue with that?

  11. I must have tried 33 or so out of 40 sandwiches on this list. But not one that are described in detail in the actual post. The Banh Mi one with spicy pork looks spectacular. I bet it tastes just as good. Personally, I can’t say No to a nice juicy cheesesteak sub or a reuben. Monte Cristo is amazing too when deep fried (keep the jam).

  12. Now how can we make this post about football? What about “Arteta wouldn’t know when/how to make a good sub”. Get it? Sub – substitution. I crack myself up. I’m here all day. Try the veal.

  13. Thanks Tim – this was an epic series of yours on Twitter.

    And in terms of a recipe with highly specific instructions… well, its all about adapting to what’s in front of you and what you have available.

    hm… I’m straying into footie analogy and that’s your skill, so I’ll leave it there.

    ;¬)

  14. There is one sandwich sorely neglected these days, all my grandchildren reject it when offered. In my wife’s and my childhood, it was a staple when we were growing up and we still love it today.

    A jam sandwich. Very simple. Toasted or not, wholemeal or white. A slice or two of bread and a good spread of butter and jam, preferably homemade. Any jam is good. Strawberry is a favourite along with blackcurrant but all are good. Of course, clotted cream makes it luxurious.

    A snack anytime but not today for most. They have been spoilt by peanut butter, chocolate spread and Nutella. A rotten shame.

    1. We used to get a doorstop wedge of homemade bread liberally smeared with freshly churned butter and strawberry jam alongside a glass of milk every morning break at my prep school.

      I was only 7 or 8, and the fact that I can still remember the taste like yesterday tells me everything I need to know about how good it was

  15. Great post Tim

    My taste in sandwiches is not as refined as yours. I would love to try some of the ones you described. However I still love crunchy peanut butter and grape jelly on toast. It’s the one that always goes into my backpack when iI go hiking or skiing or horseback riding. A bacon lettuce tomato and avocado on toast is my second favorite.

    1. nothing unrefined about either of those! I posted about 10 versions of PB&J. It’s one of my favorites.

      1. Tim

        My bad. I didn’t remember your post about PB&J. I love to try new things and the pork belly Ban Mi sounds awesome. I also love an egg with the yolk dripping over the sandwich. I have to find a way to try both of those

  16. i look on in envy with chelsea’s #18 and the brilliance of his center forward play. first, he wins the ball in midfield with a great headed redirect. next, he gets forward to finish a great overhead. i hate the rule, as i believe giroud should be ruled offsides, but the finish was a thing of beauty.

    1. Always thought Giroud was an extremely underrated player for us. There’s a reason why he was in France’s world cup winning squad and Lacazette wasn’t.

    1. just my phone. I have been doing photography for many years and I kind of have a good understanding of how to cheat a few things. I’m not entirely happy with this part of the project, so I really appreciate you saying something nice.

  18. My favorite is Lobster Roll as well. I grew up in Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We’d also vacation in Maine and PEI, so you might say I know my lobster and my lobster rolls.
    I have eaten lobster in a long while, years maybe, but I have eaten enough for a lifetime!

  19. It’s true these sandwiches (and the photos) look absolutely delicious, but where is the weiner?

    It’s almost as if hotdogs aren’t…

    I’ll leave it! 😳

  20. At my previous job we had a Vietnamese bakery literally 20 steps from our door and I had their authentic Bahn Mi sandwiches almost every day for 2 years, at only $5 (eventually $6) a pop! In North Sydney that is unheard of pricing for food of any description (a frozen 7-11 egg and lettuce sanger would be the same price).
    It had everything you described; the coriander, pate, marinated carrot, crispy-chewy bread.. but I didn’t know it was a cultural ‘dish’, I just thought they were finding ways to turn over old stock.
    So I appreciate it even more in hindsight, thanks to your post!
    Now, onto reminiscing privately…

    1. YOU KNOW WHAT I CAN and I will. This will now be the idea for the book, thanks Doc!

      Let’s see.. we did those 40 but I also added;

      Muffaletta
      The triple-fried egg chili and chutney sandwich (Red Dwarf)

      All I have to do is come up with 7 more.. now I have a quest!

      Hamburger?
      Hot dog?

      5 more.

      Recommendations welcome.

      1. You can try a few from the link I posted earlier (yesterday). Personally, I’m a big hot (Brooklyn style) pastrami fan. I actually prefer it in a reuben sandwich instead of traditional corned beef or turkey. Goes nicely on a sour dough bread with sauerkraut and Russian dressing.

  24. I loved this series. It is worth 40 blog posts or a book, honestly. Like Lonestar, I’m a Pastrami Reuben guy. Must have Russian dressing. I see it done with either sauerkraut, or cole slaw, and as much as the kraut is the tradition, I like a little sweetness of cole slaw with the massive savory and fatty pastrami.

    Your Banh mi french bread is making me drool, btw. I can literally taste it and feel the crunch in my mouth. Great photo. My very close 2nd choice. Thanks for every bite!

  25. A truly salivating post, Tim. I am extremely jealous of your daughter presumably getting to try all of the practice versions until perfection is achieved!

    I’ve never made my own, but pork belly banh mi with pate, all the pickled veg and a hearty dose of chopped red chilli is definitely up there with my favourite sandwiches from anywhere.

    On a relatively similar sweet-sour-savoury-chilli combo thing, I’m curious whether Bao have become a thing over your side of the pond? Also very delicious, and the difference between a good and bad bun also has a massive effect.

    Finally, completely off topic but can I ask you an IT question? Sometime not too long ago your blog started to what I will term ‘auto refresh’. It can be very frustrating if I’m reading comments, as it takes me back up to the top of the page. I read it from my iPhone – is there some setting that I need to change? Thanks!!

    1. “Finally, completely off topic but can I ask you an IT question? Sometime not too long ago your blog started to what I will term ‘auto refresh’. It can be very frustrating if I’m reading comments, as it takes me back up to the top of the page. I read it from my iPhone – is there some setting that I need to change? Thanks!!”

      Oh wow, I have no idea. I just looked at my site settings and I can’t see any reason why it’s doing this. I’ll ask twitter.

      2. the site does it to me as well…i’d be typing a post and the page would just refresh, deleting what i’d written.

        a few weeks ago, i also mentioned that safari always gives a notification that this site uses “significant energy” and recommends i shut down the page; another user expressed the same issue. i don’t know if it’s safari and i simply need to use another browser or what. perhaps you could have whomever manages the site check into that as well? these two issues may be one in the same.

          2. thanks, tim.

            fyi, i had my activity monitor open while writing my post below. while it’s not consistently high, sometimes, 7amkickoff gets as high as 85% of my cpu usage…essentially, flip-flopping with the idle state, which averages about 95%.

            in fairness, the mac is 10 years old. however, the machine screams. everything else on my computer is currently closed and i only remember getting this notification on 7am. i haven’t gotten the notice today (since the changes you made) but the activity monitor is saying that your site is a energy-hungry monster.

          3. The good news is that seems to have fixed it – thanks Tim!

            I’m not sure whether related, but strangely there are now some messages that don’t have a reply button below – such as your message: I change a lot of things…. at 8.59am. Which is what this message is really a reply to.

            Perhaps not related, but just thought I should make you aware

  26. arsenal have a game starting in a few minutes. they are better than benfica. if they lose, it’s arteta’s fault. it’s a game that arsenal have to win because they failed to win in the away match, that they probably should have won 3-1.

    i’ve already mentioned my primary gripe, which is aubameyang playing center forward instead of striker and all that it entails. my second gripe is with smith rowe being deployed as a striker. while i’m all in for not blocking the kid from developing, this is a game arsenal need to win. he shouldn’t be playing striker ahead of pepe (on current form) or aubameyang. he’s a center mid, not a striker. no way he’s a better striker than auba or pepe. likewise, no way he’s a better striker than lacazette is a center forward. if he’s not good enough to keep his place in the side ahead of odegaard, there’s no shame there. he’s simply got to put his head down and work harder; that’s the nature of being a youngster trying to prove himself. i don’t like the idea of greasing the skids for anyone. with that, now that i’ve said my piece, he’ll probably bag a hat trick tonight. we’ll see.

  27. Josh.

    I am not sure why you would say we are better then Benfica. I think our starting line up today only had 1 player who has scored more then 10 league goals in his entire career. Suggesting that a team as short on firepower as ours should definitely beat any team is a bit over stating reality

    Auba has now scored 5 of our last 8 goals. If he scores we have a realistic chance of winning most games. If he does score then we don’t have much chance.

    1. 538’s soccer power index has Arsenal 17th overall and Benfica 43rd. Josh is right, this shouldn’t have been this close, but in high stakes matches and low-scoring sports, weird things happen.

  28. I watched most of the Benfica match. Although the teams were pretty close in terms of technical quality, our opponents couldn’t create much from open play, so I felt Arsenal were really unfortunate to go 2-1 down and stare at a two goal deficit with 30 minutes to go. We had another razor’s edge goal chalked off for offside after video replay, their free kick was top drawer (but those are rare) and then the Ceballos back header, a crushing individual mistake, the type a player may make once in his career. The team had enough about them to pull themselves out of that hole thanks to Kieran Tierney’s relentlessness and quality. I could just see all the nasty tweets queuing up when Arteta brought Willian on (Arsenal need two goals and now down to 10 men, etc.), so I’m glad he at least had a part in that goal even if that goal was 90% Tierney (wins back possession, gets in the box, jukes a defender, powers it home far post. Bravo!!).

    I felt overall in this lineup there were too many schemers and not enough runners. There were too many “patient” i.e. slow passages of play even when we were chasing the game and Odegaard in particular seemed averse to running into the box to receive a pass. We didn’t get much of that from midfield either, so there was a whole lot of sterile Arsenal possession. That said, the team did look very tidy on the ball and kept it well in tight areas, in no small part due to Odegaard’s skill. It seemed like we kept funneling play time after time into the wide right position for the Odegaard-Saka-Bellerin triangle, and while two of the goals did come from Saka, neither were due to the intricate interplay between those three, rather to Saka’s individual brilliance.

    So the positives are that we somehow clawed our way out against the odds, look more press resistant and can keep the ball better in the final third. The negatives are that we still lack a great balance in attack and the constant changes in foorward configurations have erodedd the type of chemistry the team needs to play one touch football.

    PS: I really liked the look of Benfica’s #9, Darwin Nunes. Mobile, powerful and with a strong shot on him.

  29. boys and girls, can you say badass? can you use the word, badass, in a sentence? here’s my effort: it is a fact that bukayo saka is a legitimate badass.

    my word…to play in a ball of such high quality in the 86th minute, when the game was on the line, as a 19-year old is special indeed. that is quality that should be showcased in champions league matches. in fact, it will be. if arsenal don’t get their thing together, they’re going to lose that young man and it would be no more than they deserved.

  30. We made that harder than it needed to be.
    Agree that Odegaard and ESR were too duplicative, at least in this match. We needed Laca/Pepe/Martinelli in there instead of one of those two creative players. Saka manages to function as both.
    And Saka needs a rest. With the PL all but gone, we should probably rest him in the next match. Along with not playing Tierney and Partey the whole match. Need to keep them healthy.

    1. I disagree with most of what was argued in that column. Look at the next match that Man City played (against Borussia Monchengladbach) and you can see the stark difference in application between Arsenal and BMG.

  33. Here to say how validating it is to see Banh Mi at the top! Great post Tim; I enjoy the breadth of subjects about which you can write expressively and expansively and I get a rise out of your food posts.

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