Roast Pork & Broccoli Rabe Sandwiches
on Homemade Focaccia (the focaccia recipe is what you came here for)
These really don’t need much explanation in words other than : OMG WTF THESE ARE RIDICULOUS. Watch my Instagram Reel of them HERE if you haven’t seen it. I don’t have great photos because it was a bit of a rush to get these out the door and into boxes to drop off at daycare. These require a little planning ahead. The focaccia dough needs 1-2 days to hang out in the refrigerator. And the roasted pork is far superior in flavor if made the day before. Make the 3 elements, put them out right in their pans and let your family assemble maybe the best sandwich they’ve ever had. OR do as I did, and pack these up to deliver to someone you love. The recipe in all its glory, is at the bottom of this email.
The Focaccia
I think this focaccia needs a moment to itself. It’s fantastic, and I mean REALLY fantastic. I can hear you now, “But I don’t bake!”. Just trust me on this one. It’s easy. You can TOTALLY do this. And it’s deeply worth the effort. This may be the best focaccia I’ve ever had. It’s moist, it’s springy, it’s oily and crispy on the bottom. No mixer needed, because there’s no kneading. You do need a few days notice to make it, so plan ahead. I promise you’re going to make this once and then be planning the next time. I’ve made it 4 times in the last month. Currently the recipe calls for a 9” x 13” pan. This week I plan to try halving the recipe to fit in a 9” x9” pan, in case you don’t need that much focaccia. I will of course keep you updated on this. If you’re not already subscribed this may be the one recipe you should subscribe for. If you’re not feeling the paid content, you can always cancel.
My Favorite Cheesecake Recipe
Along with these sandwiches I delivered 4 mini cheesecakes. I’ve been using this Gourmet Magazine recipe for years. I make adjustments to it (I’ll tell you below) and it divides wonderfully into 4 mini springform pans. Sometimes I do the sour cream topping, and sometimes I don’t. It’s equally delicious. It’s a great recipe as it is and also a fantastic jumping off point for flavor variations:
Mix the following into the crumb crust: freshly grated ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and nutmeg.
Swap chocolate wafer cookies out for the graham crackers and add some instant espresso powder for a delicious chocolate crust.
3 Cities of Spain Cheesecake (from Gourmet Magazine Nov 1999)
Crumb Crust:
1 1/2 cups (5 oz) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers or gingersnaps (it’s a little less than 2 sleeves of graham crackers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.
Cheesecake:
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (i add more and i like to use vanilla paste)
1 cup sugar
Topping:
16 oz sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Make Filling:
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.
Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in a baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken. Let stand in baking pan on a rack 5 minutes. Leave oven on.
Make Topping:
Stir together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls of topping around edge of cake and spread gently over center, smoothing evenly. Bake cake with topping 10 minutes.
Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.) Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side from pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
What I’m Loving This Week:
Trader Joe’s Calabrian Chili Paste: This is one of my favorite TJ’s items. It’s a hot and spicy chili paste from Italy but it’s also fermented so it’s a little bit funky. Heaven! For these sandwiches, I mixed this with mayo.
Trader Joes Everything Bagel Spice Crackers: We ended up with ALOT of cheese from the holiday. These crackers are a very delicious vehicle for cheese or for dips.
Makes 6 sandwiches
Roast Pork:
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into big chunks
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground