There’s an old proverb that claims that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I can tell you that for my man, this has to be true.
You know, I had a lot to go up against in the beginning. As a southern raised young lady, I was taught early on how to put out big hearty spreads for your men with some irresistible desserts to follow them. But y’all…I picked a man who grew up eating from the kitchens of the epitome of home-made, comforting marry-me-now cooking. To say I was slightly intimidated to even try to get to his heart through his stomach is an understatement!
I knew what I was up against during my first meal at Mr. & Mrs. Campbell’s table. I thought I was in heaven! But there was no competition necessary. My man loves his Momma’s cookin and he loves mine too. So the way to my man’s heart was going to have to be from both.
Weldon has lots of favorite recipes from his heritage. I love hearing his stories of when his mom would be making things and how she would involve her children in helping -it gave him such sweet memories of his childhood. Being the youngest boy in the family, Weldon had older brothers to help with outside work which allowed Mrs. Velma to elect his help in the kitchen. I could never thank her enough for that either, we really do love being in the kitchen together and learning what the other one knows.
Moms, listen up: teach your boys how to love being in the kitchen too -their wife will thank you one day and you’ll be equipping them both with a gift to use to spend quality time together.
So today, it’s my privilege to share with you one of Weldon’s favorites: Pork Roll Sandwiches.
Pork Roll is a type of specialty deli meat that is very popular in the north eastern United States. According to my research, it has it’s origins in New Jersey. Believe it or not, the supposed founder of pork roll created quite a debacle and I thought it was kind of funny -you can read more about it here. The pork roll I’ll be using for this recipe came straight from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We actually bought it from Martins Country Market in Ephrata, PA when we were in the area for our Christmas vacation. John F. Martin & Sons is the only brand of pork roll I can personally attest for it’s flavor and quality.
PORK ROLL SANDWICHES
A pork roll sandwich made like Weldon loves is much more than just a slice of this deli meat with cheese on bread. [Although as I’m writing this, I’m enjoying a slice of warmed pork roll and Gouda cheese on some homemade bread (also my mother-in-love’s recipe which will be coming soon) and it’s quite delicious]. The pork roll recipe for you today will be more like a sandwich spread that includes pork roll, cheese, eggs, onions, then some mayo and ketchup to hold it all together with flavor.
What I love about this recipe is not only its taste but that it’s freezer friendly, great for crowds, company or cookouts, easy for quick simple dinners or lunches and it’s inexpensive. It makes plenty of sandwiches to keep on hand for a while. Not to mention that my husband is absolutely in love with it!
To begin, we will prep our ingredients and set up our work space.
We took advantage of our beautiful sunny and breezy Florida weather and made our sandwiches in our little outdoor kitchen. To grind everything together, I’ll be using my Kitchen Aid mixer with my meat grinder attachment.
Start by boiling a dozen eggs, let cool then peel. Aren’t these fresh brown eggs just some beauties? Compliments of my Gran and Pop’s Chicken Coop.
You will need 4.5 lbs of pork roll. Slice it, weigh it and cut it into strips that will easily fit into the grinder.
Next you’ll need your onions. I pulled mine straight out of the garden. For the right proportions you’ll need 6 small white onions or you can use the white parts of 12 good size spring onions like I did. Cut them into pieces that will be manageable for your grinder.
Then you’ll need 4.5 lbs of processed cheese. Yes that’s right…we are pound for pound of pork and cheese. Now you’re seeing why this is gonna be so good.
Once everything is prepped, measured and cut, send it through your grinder. It helps to alternate all four ingredients especially after the cheese runs through and leaves your chamber grimy. Sending pork roll right after the cheese seemed to help us.
Add in the ketchup and mayonnaise and mix well – using your hands of course. You can freeze this mixture as it is now for later use in freezer-safe containers or bags until you are ready to use it…
…Or you can keep going and prepare to be entranced by the wonder of a pork roll sandwich. Spread the love between some of our favorite Martin’s Sandwich Potato Rolls.
To let all the flavors weld together in the mightiest of ways, wrap your sandwiches in foil and warm in a 400’F oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
***Foil-wrapped sandwiches can be frozen as is. When ready to use, thaw completely and bake as directed above.
Pork Roll Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4.5 lbs pork roll
- 4.5 lbs processed cheese
- 12 hard cooked eggs
- 6 small onions
- 3 cups mayonnaise
- 1.5 cups ketchup
Instructions
- Slice or wedge first four ingredients to appropriate size for grinder then grind into fine pieces.
- Mix in ketchup and mayonnaise until all ingredients are well incorporated with one another.
- Fill sandwich buns with 1/3 cup of pork roll mixture and wrap individually in foil.
- Bake sandwiches at 400'F for 10 minutes to warm. Serve and enjoy!
Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.