Philadelphia Pork Sandwiches

Ingredience

Pork and Jus

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (4-pound) boneless pork butt roast, trimmed

2 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed

8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

Broccoli Rabe

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Pinch red pepper flakes

Sandwiches

8 (8-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise

12 ounces sliced sharp provolone cheese

Pokyny

1. For the Pork and Jus Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine salt, rosemary, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds, and pepper flakes in bowl. Tie pork with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle pork with salt mixture and transfer to large Dutch oven. Pour broth around pork and add garlic to pot. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat registers 190 degrees, 2½ to 3 hours.

2. Transfer pork to large plate. Transfer braising liquid to 4-cup liquid measuring cup; add extra broth, if necessary, to equal 3 cups. Let pork and liquid cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate both for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

3. For the Broccoli Rabe Heat oil and garlic in Dutch oven over medium heat until garlic is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe, salt, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

4. About 20 minutes before serving, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove twine and cut cooled pork in half lengthwise to make 2 even-size roasts. Position roasts cut side down and slice each crosswise as thin as possible.

5. Spoon solidified fat off cooled jus and discard. Transfer jus to Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, add pork, cover, and cook until pork is heated through, about 3 minutes, tossing occasionally. Cover and keep warm.

6. For the Sandwiches Arrange rolls on 2 rimmed baking sheets (4 rolls per sheet). Divide provolone evenly among rolls. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cheese is melted and rolls are warmed, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, divide pork and broccoli rabe evenly among rolls (about 1 cup pork and ⅓ cup broccoli rabe per roll). Serve, passing any remaining jus separately.

Poznámky

Plan ahead: You need to let the pork cool for 1 hour and then refrigerate it for at least 1 hour to make slicing easier. Sharp provolone is often labeled “provolone picante,” but you can use standard deli provolone too. If you’re using table salt, cut the amounts in half. Serve with jarred hot cherry peppers, if desired.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A Philadelphia roast pork sandwich is a glorious beast: thinly sliced seasoned pork; bitter, garlicky greens; a rich, herby jus; and a fluffy sub roll topped with sharp provolone cheese (and optional hot peppers). A long braise was essential for the pork butt to reach the point of fall-apart tenderness, followed by chilling to make the meat easy to slice thin. The pork juices combined with the braising broth to create a flavorful base for the jus, which we used to warm the pork back up. Garlicky broccoli rabe took just a few minutes to make. We piled the meat and greens on rolls, topped them off with provolone, and baked the sandwiches to melty perfection.