Just when you think you've tasted the best sandwich in the world--you make this and realize you didn't truly live until the moment you bit into this bad boy! There is a lot of time and effort that goes into making this. Just a warning.
HOWEVER--Once you taste it you will make it again and that time and effort turns into love because it is SO WORTH IT. You make a brine, you make an au jus, you make caramelized onions, you smoke or grill the meat and you build this benchmark of NOM. Have you ever had the Pig Dip at St. Francis in Phoenix, AZ? That exact sandwich inspired this delicious wonder you can make from home! #SoNomNom4u
Meat:
1 (4 lb) Pork Loin
Bread:
1 loaf of french bread--buy or make your own!
Toppings:
4 TBSP Butter, melted (to toast bread)
Fennel Onion Marmalade (recipe below)
Dijon Mustard, to taste
Gruyere Cheese, sliced
Thick cut bacon, cooked
Prosciutto slices
Fennel Onion Marmalade:
4 TBSP Olive oil
4 onions, sliced
1 cup white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup Brown sugar
Brine
8 cups of water
3 star anise
2 TBSP fennel seed
3 bay leaves
1 TBSP Corriander
1 TBSP Chili Powder
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup sugar
Au Jus:
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 Large onion, chopped
8 cups of beef broth
To Brine Meat:
Bring everything to a boil and boil 10 minutes., remove from heat and cool by adding 2 cups of ice. let cool down to about room temperature. Place Pork Loin into a large zipper bag or bowl with a lid. Cover with brine. Place lid or zip bag and sotre in fridge for 4-12 hours.
To make Au Jus:
In a medium pot, add broth, celery, carrots, onion, and broth to a boil. Let boil for about 20 minutes. Strain, toss cooked veggies, save juice and set juice aside.
To make Onion Fennel Marmalade:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions and fennel and cook until they begin to become translucent. Add white wine, vinegar, and brown sugar and cook until onion mixture becomes thick and very brown. Remove from heat and let cool down. Set aside.
To make meat:
Remove meat from brine after brining for 4-24 hours. Rinse and smoke in a smoker with cherry or apple wood until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Set aside. If you do not have a smoker, cook on indirect heat on the grill or in the oven until internal temperature of the pork reaches 160°F. Bring in, let stand for about 10 minutes and slice into 1" thick slices. Place slices on a large plate and set aside.
To assemble the sandwich:
Cut French bread in half vertically (Lengthwise) lay each side, cut side up on a large baking sheet. Brush each side with melted butter by using a basting brush. When each side is completely buttered, place sheet of bread in preheated 425°F oven and bake for about 7 minutes, or until toasty. Remove and let cool.
Get the plate of 1" sliced pork loin. On each slice, add a slice of gruyere to cover pork slice. WHen all slices are covered, microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Remove from microwave and add backon slices to each slice of pork and top each of those layers with a large slice of prosciutto. Set aside.
On the bottom bread, Layer a nice portion of onion fennel marmalade. On top of that layer, add the meat stack (meat, cheese, bacon prociutto stack you made earlier).
On top bread, spread a layer of dijon across the entire flat part of the bread. place top bread on top of layered bottom bread. Cut and serve with au jus.
What do you hear? All the people eating this are groaning and saying how delicious it is. So worth the time and effort!
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