Meat Morgan: Building the Perfect Sandwich

Whether you love cooking meat or just eating it, it’s time you formally meet our in-house meat connoisseur, Morgan Bolling. She’s worked at a few different kitchens across the United States, gracing those who will listen with her meat knowledge. When she’s not at work developing a new meaty recipe, there’s a chance that she’s hosting a homemade sausage dinner, running a half marathon (to cancel out those sausage dinners), or planning her next pig roast.

It depends on the sandwich, but it’s hard to find another spread that beats mayo. It’s one of the easiest condiments to make, and you can easily jazz it up with powerful ingredients. Here are some of my favorite add-ins: basil and lemon juice, tarragon and mustard, chipotle chile in adobo and scallions, and horseradish and chives.

It varies based on the sandwich, but with deli meat, 3 to 4 ounces per sandwich is a good bet.

It’s similar to a Reuben. Whereas a Reuben sandwich is corned beef and sauerkraut packed with Swiss cheese on rye bread, a Rachel swaps in pastrami for the corned beef and coleslaw for the 'kraut.

This is an Iowa specialty (also called a Maid-Rite) in which steamed ground beef is topped with mustard, pickles, and onions and served on a soft hamburger bun. The beef is not in patty form, but rather loose and pebbly.

Corned beef is simply salt-cured brisket; curing was the original method of preserving meat. “Corning” is an Old English term that refers to the “corns,” or kernels of rock salt, used to cure meat for preservation.

• American if I’m making a hot sandwich and I want a really melted, gooey cheese.
• Provolone if I want something with a little sharpness and tang.
• Pepper Jack if I’m after spice.

I like to bake it in a hot 400-degree oven. Leave it in slightly longer than you normally would when eating bacon plain so it can get extra-crispy (25 to 30 minutes). Once it’s out of the oven, drain it on a paper towel–lined plate to slick off some of the grease.

Deli counter. You can get exactly what you want regarding thickness and it’s conveniently sliced to order.

Pound the chicken breasts until they're of even thickness and bake them covered (so they gently poach in their own juices) in a 350-degree oven until they register 160 degrees. Doing this prevents the meat from drying out. Cook's Country just released a Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs recipe you'll want to try.

A ton. The Boogaloo Wonderland Sandwich from Detroit has a special place in my heart. It has ground beef simmered in a special sauce and topped with American cheese on a toasted sub roll. Our Philadelphia Pork Sandwiches are another favorite. They feature thinly sliced pork butt cooked with fennel and a ton of garlic and layered with Provolone cheese and spicy broccoli rabe on a toasted sub roll. They're served with extra juices from braising the meat, which soaks into the bun. Really, both sandwiches are a joy to eat.

If you're looking for new or familiar sandwich options, check out our recipe database.