The Year of The Sandwich pt. I
January. Grilled Ham and Cheese on Sourdough.
So far, The Year of the Sandwich has been a success. At this point, this means that only one sandwich has been made and consumed but in a master plan with only 12 steps, the successful completion of the first one is not trivial, I assure you.
The Sandwich
The inaugural sandwich of 2024 is The Grilled Ham and Cheese on Sourdough. As far as relatively unassuming sandwiches go, this one is pretty excellent. It really is hard to beat, in part because of its simplicity. I took the slightly highbrow approach on this but honestly this sandwich could be made with the most basic ingredients and it would still be delicious and well worth the effort. This is the case because (i think) the grilled ham and cheese is simply the lowest basic form of the sandwich and it hits all the marks inherently.
What makes a good sandwich? Good bread around salt and fat ideally with one additional flavor profile to punctuate the basic tone of the thing, in this case it’s a pickle. Legitimately that's it. So a ham and cheese is simply fundamental as far as sandwiches go. Go to the store and get a loaf of cheap white bread, American cheese– the kind that’s not actually cheese and comes in individual plastic wraps, a jar of mayo, and some pickles. Even if you don’t grill it it’ll scratch the itch. A little time over some heat to melt the cheese and toast the bread and all of a sudden you’ve got something.
As I said I took a slightly highbrow approach and much of that is due to the fact that my wife is an industry and she produces. We always have fresh sourdough on hand and she recently started making her own mayonnaise. Which is sublime. So my ham sammy was made using the wife’s bread and mayo as well as some decent ham and cheese I picked up at the deli.
I started with the mayo. Not a lot but enough that the sandwich doesn’t end up dry after you toast it, a decent slathering on each piece of bread. The butter goes in the pan first followed by the first piece of bread, mayo side up of course. Then the sandwich gets assembled in the skillet. I used a few different kinds of cheeses. Swiss, white cheddar, and mozzarella. The cheese goes first and then the ham. As I mentioned, cheap ham will work but a good deli-quality meat does better. It’s more hearty and the actual distinction between muscle and fat offers some good texture. After the ham go the pickles– just a few– and then the second layer of cheese. It’s important to have two layers of cheese so that there’s some on both sides of the sandwich.
The sandwich is grilled on the first side on until that side’s cheese is melted and the bread develops a good crust. Then it should be flipped and the same should be done to the second side.
And that’s it. The prize for your labors is a hot, salty, melty, perfectly-crunchy-on-the-outside sandwich with juicy ham and stringy cheese. And pickle. Don't forget the pickle. The pickle is what turns this sandwich from a muddled mono flavored mass of bread and salt into a multi-dimensional creation of ham and succulence. The pickle is important.
The Paring
I paired the sandwich with a Neon Beer Hug. This is a delicious IPA made by the Goose Island brewery in Chicago. I’m a consummate (this means ‘one who consumes a bunch’) fan of the Beer Hug series in general, a collection of hearty IPAs which are tropical, floral, and hoppy but not to the extent that they taste like potpourri.
The copy from the brewery has this to say. “A shockingly easy-drinking 7.0% ABV IPA with an electric bouquet of tropical & citrus flavors. Nugget, Sultana, Citra, Mosaic, and Eureka hops provide the spark that makes Neon Beer Hug shine.” I don’t know what any of that means but it sounds impressive and tastes great.
Also it really is easy to drink so be careful. Channel your inner Chesterton. “We should thank God for beer and brandy by not drinking too much of them.”
So that’s the ham and cheese. Delightful in every way. And simple. If you make your own I want to hear about it. Feel free to share your own sandwich adventures and misadventures. Bonus points for pictures.
Stay hungry, my friends.
So I can’t add a photo. Just made mini ham & cheese paninis for co-op lunch tomorrow. Ham, sharp cheddar on a soft french loaf with salted butter. And that’s it. (It’s for the kids.... if there are leftovers I’ll get to indulge.)
I’ve been thinking since you posted about, “My wife is an industry, and she produces” I love that line!
I’m going to try to bribe people with your sandwiches to subscribe. Don’t have too much faith in my PR.
And lastly, MAN! When I read this I was salivating. Looks A-Ma-za-zing 🫶🏻
Sounds delicious. Like the cast iron skillet. Instead of Mayo on my Ham and cheese, sometimes I like to do a Mayo siracha blend and use it as a dip! Well done Marie for the home made bread and Mayo!