I WANT YOU INSIDE ME- I'm a big hero in Central Jersey.

Last week I was invited down to Middletown, NJ by the owners of a family-run Italian deli called Taliercio's.

They asked if I had any interest in constructing a sandwich that would then be named after me, and I quickly responded, "Fuck yes."

I originally thought this was some sort of exclusive honor, but I was quick to learn that dozens of people already have sandwiches named after them at Taliercio's including Barstool's very own Frank the Tank, whose creation is built around a base of something called Lebanon Bologna.

(Full-Time Bologna Ingester)

But since exclusivity has never been a concern of mine, I shot down the Garden State Parkway to Exit 114 and crafted a unique hero I am very proud of.

So to recap:

1. Unseeded Italian bread… Not semolina.
2. The top half is "gutted" (dough is dug out).
3. A small drizzle of olive oil on the bottom.
4. Then the hot soppressata… I was going to use prosciutto, but I didn't want the stringiness from a slice of meat carved directly off of the muscle, so I decided to go with a sausage such as salami, pepperoni, or (my favorite) soppressata.
5. Then the breaded and fried veal cutlets… Most people opt for chicken cutlets, but I have always preferred torturing big mammals to smaller fowl for the benefit of my sandwiches.
6. Then a healthy schmear of ricotta cheese.
7. A little salt and a LOT of black pepper.
8. Some chopped walnuts… For texture.
9. A drizzle of spicy honey that Taliercio's makes in-house with Calabrian chilis and honey.
10. Then Iayer on some halved fried meatballs (no sauce).
11. Balance a handful of arugula on top of the meatballs for some peppery roughage.
12. Pour on some olive oil and red wine vinegar (no balsamic).
13. Spread the top half of the bread with homemade hot pepper relish.
14. Try to cut it in half without it falling to pieces.
15. Unhinge your jaw like a fucking anaconda.

And enjoy!

I posted this on social and some people think it is a little too much on one sandwich… And I agree.

But you don't get a sandwich named after you at an Italian deli and then tell them, "Ham & swiss on rye with heavy mayo." 

You have to make something photogenic, almost obscene, and certainly the type of hero that would make you feel like absolute dogshit after trying to eat the whole thing.

So if you're ever down in the Middletown/Red Bank area of central New Jersey, stop into Taliercio's and give the "Large One" a shot.

IWYIM

-Large