Battle of the beef sandwiches

[janeer]

let me have your snail mail address and i can get a few rolls to you in two days.

Would you share the recipe? I'm originally from New Jersey, if that helps.

[suzilightning]

i'm originally from new york...not new jersey but if you have the

Stern's Real American Food book it is in there. if you don't pm me and i will send the recipe to you since it is copyrighted.

[kayb]

Two entries for the "best ever" category -- the New Orleanse "debris" sandwich, trimmings and such from roast beef, dumped back in the gravy or jus, spooned out onto a Leidenheimer roll.

And then the Roast Beef Po'Boy at Uncle John's restaurant in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, one of the two retail establishments in that town of about 400 people. It's thinly sliced roast beef, layered thickly on a roll, and topped with marinara sauce. Damn, it's good.

[Mayur]

So how does D'Alessandro's fit into the Holly Moore Corollary?

[BeatriceB]

I'd have to put in a vote for the cheesesteak. The way the elements cohere into one gooey perfect filling in the soft but firm bread is just ... well, sometimes it's the thing I just have to have (South Jersey raised here, NYC now, and 99 Miles from Philly does a good enough rendition to satisfy the cravings, if imperfect).

I agree that brisket is important too, though. A good Jewish deli hot brisket on club roll with gravy is a fantastic thing. And my sister lived in Buffalo for five years or so; I think she began to suspect that I visited her as much for the beef on weck as to see her and my niece. I don't know why beef on weck is literally completely unavailable outside that area. I'd think someone would try to introduce it here downstate.

I've never had a truly good French dip, though I've probably never tried one in the right venue. I also love a great thinly sliced rare roast beef sandwich on sourdough or maybe ciabatta with mayo, horseradish, Worcestershire, Jarlsberg, a little arugula or watercress, but good cold rare roast beef has become almost impossible to find unless you roast it yourself.

[philadining]

This might get me run out of Philly, but my vote is for a Beef on Weck, with second place going to a debris-style roast beef po boy, like the ones at Parkway or Parasol.

[rlibkind]

I won't run you out of town. Beef on Weck is a classic. I'm just disappointed Wegmans in Cherry Hill stopped making Kimmelweck rolls.

[lancastermike]

Although Holly and I talked about cheesesteaks upthread, when somebody talks about roast beef sandwiches I really don't think of cheesesteaks. Beef on weck, that is a roast beef sandwich. And the kind several folks talked about with beef sliced to order on a roll with horseradish is what I really think of as a roast beef sanndwich.

Edited February 10, 2011 by lancastermike (log)

[Holly Moore]

So how does D'Alessandro's fit into the Holly Moore Corollary?

Personal opinion is that D'Alessandro's fits within the Corollary. My favorite cheesesteakery, Steve's, Prince of Steaks, way out in the wilds of Northeast Philadelphia, is an exception to the corollary, simply proving the need for ongoing research.

Just speculation, but perhaps there is a cheesesteak triangle, defined by South Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia and Roxborough. Yet, if so, how would one account for White House Subs in Atlantic City.

Perplexing.

[Holly Moore]

Although Holly and I talked about cheesesteaks upthread, when somebody talks about roast beef sandwiches I really don't think of cheesteaks. Beef on weck, that is a roast beef sandwich. And the kins several folks talked about with beef sliced to order on a roll with horseradish is what I really think of as a roast beef sanndwich.

I agree. I experienced similar discomfort at Roadfood.com where cheesesteaks are considered sandwiches - listed in the same category as BLT's and Tuna Melts.

[gfweb]

I like the idea of a Cheesesteak Triangle. But I'd extend the southern pole to Wilmington, or at least Claymont. The Claymont Sub Shop has Philly-quality steaks.

And I'd bet that the towns along the Wilmington local's route all have some good steaks too.

In another thread I put forth the idea that there is a Pizza Belt that runs roughly along I95 from Boston to Wilmington. If you stray too far from I95 Green Zone the pizza gets sweet and thick and vile.

[MikeHartnett]

The GIGANTIC problem with this thread: it is impossible for any person to label any of these sandwiches the "best." These sandwiches are in your blood- you can't just eat all of them side by side and declare a winner. Quite apart from them all being objectively fantastic sandwiches, there's the fact that you've been propping your elbows on the stainless steel counter at Al's for years, and you and your dad both keep a jar of giardiniera in the fridge at all times. Or that when you sit at the bar at Parkway with an ice cold Barq's and a roast beef po boy, and that waitress says "hey baby, whatcha want," there isn't another sandwich in the world. [i've spent virtually my entire life in Chicago and New Orleans. Please insert similar cheesesteak anecdote here.] Even if you found someone who had never laid eyes on any of these sandwiches before, sat them down and said judge, they just wouldn't get it.