Your Next Perfect Porchetta Sandwich is from Chinatown

Your Next Perfect Porchetta Sandwich is from Chinatown

I guess I am currently in the middle of what one would call, a blogger limbo.

We have “officially” moved out of Beijing, so to speak.  But in the next 3 weeks when our apartment is under renovation, we are going to be staying in a hotel where the closest thing to a cooking vessel is the bathroom sink with hot tap water (hotel sous vide?).  How do I create something delicious when the mere act of making fruit smoothies posts challenges?  Then I realised, the answer lies just around every corner in this city.

Cantonese-style roast pork.  Something as abundant in Hong Kong as Starbucks are in New York.  This awesome thing, is everywhere.  Even if you didn’t live here, chances are you’ve seen it in your nearest Chinatown, a staple in Cantonese cuisines.

Typically served with rice, which I’ve always had my doubt on.  I mean, it is a great piece of roast pork, with salty yet juicy flesh and gloriously blistered skins.  But on its own, and paired with yellow mustard, in my opinion, it just isn’t the most flattering companion for steamed rice.   It is however, the most perfect yet most under-utilized sandwich candidate, practically an half-way porchetta sandwich.

Here’s what you do.  You chop up a whole box of these porky awesomeness, then you make a “dressing” out of minced scallions, ginger and red chilis, with pungent savouriness from fish sauce and a tang that cuts through the grease from red wine vinegar.  You let this “dressing” seep through the nooks and crannies of an unapologetic pile of the chopped roast pork, into the thirsty holes of a toasted crusty roll that catches it all.  Then you cap everything up with a few slices of provolone cheese, and you draw your finishing touch with a smear of yellow mustard.

Porky, crispy, drippy and zero-cooking involved.  What can I say?  Hotel meal.

YOU LET IT SEEP THROUGH THE NOOKS OF AN UNAPOLOGETIC PILE OF CHOPPED ROAST PORK, INTO THE THIRSTY HOLES OF A TOASTED CRUSTY ROLL.

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Cantones-style porchetta sandwich

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

    DRESSING:
  • 1 cup finely diced scallion
  • 1 1/2 tsp finely minced ginger
  • 1/2 small red chili, minced
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp fish sauce, plus more to adjust
  • 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • TO ASSEMBLE:
  • Cantonese-style roast pork, store bought or make your own, roughly chopped
  • 2 crusty rolls
  • 6~8 slices provolone cheese
  • yellow mustard

Instructions

  1. Mix diced scallion, minced ginger, minced chili, olive oil, fish sauce, red wine vinegar and freshly ground black pepper together. Let sit for 10 min.
  2. Slice the rolls in half and toast under the broiler until the edges are browned. Smear a layer of yellow mustard on the bottom, then spoon a good amount of the herb-mixture on top. Place a big pile of the chopped roast pork with another douse of the herb-mixture. Let the herb-oil seep through the pork and down into the bread. Top with 3~4 slices of provolone cheese and serve.
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34 Comments
  • my mom always asks for extra chicharones on her favorite porchetta sandwich, which is perfect because she loves all the crispy bits on siu yuk! i’ll have to surprise her with this very soon ?

  • OMG that crispy skin on the roasted pork made me go a tad crazy over here. Such a good-looking sandwich!

  • jessica

    04.05.2016at9:13 PM Reply

    even kitchenless, your photos and flavor pairings never fail to inspire! also every sandwich you post is so DROOLWORTHY.

  • g-tsak@icookstuff

    04.05.2016at9:29 PM Reply

    attagirl ! :)

  • Mara

    04.06.2016at1:36 AM Reply

    Perfection!

  • Melinda

    04.06.2016at2:18 AM Reply

    Mandy this is a kick ass idea to add to your blog – meals you can make from a hotel room! Take it from someone who is frequently subjected to very randomized food situations when traveling, WE CAN REALLY USE THIS TYPE OF RECIPE.

  • Kara | Sorghum and Starch

    04.06.2016at5:53 AM Reply

    This looks incredible! I’m going to be living in a hotel for a while in August, so I’ll definitely have to give this a try!

  • maya

    04.06.2016at9:50 PM Reply

    this is a great opportunity to look into creative ways to cook with hotel utilities (this is somewhat of a douchey chinese careless mindset, but not so if you clean up after, i guess!): toasting foiled bacon over the hot iron? boiling soup in the kettle? just putting it out there :)

  • Winns

    04.06.2016at10:16 PM Reply

    Seriously, your like my idol. That is such a great new way to enjoy the roast pork , which I’ve always always eaten with just rice.

  • June2

    04.07.2016at12:53 AM Reply

    That bread looks incredibly good, must say! Very good looking sandwich, regardless of hotel room!

  • ellie

    04.07.2016at11:22 AM Reply

    Admit it, you were valedictorian in high school, weren’t you? Or…you’re just a genius when it comes to food…?! This looks so simple but like it’s straight out of a “gourmet” sandwich shop.

  • Nina

    04.07.2016at2:54 PM Reply

    Limbo as in Inception limbo? haha,go Mandy!

  • Sabrina

    04.11.2016at7:35 AM Reply

    Nice! I love the fusion of flavors!

  • Rob Connoley

    04.12.2016at7:41 AM Reply

    wow oh wow! I love the flavors in this recipe! One of the hottest sandwiches in the USA right now is a porchetta sandwich at Meckelburgs in New York. I visited meckelburgs last year but ordered other things. Wish I had.

  • Heather @HeatherChristo

    04.12.2016at3:31 PM Reply

    I’m totally digging this porchetta sandwich!

  • Yen

    04.14.2016at10:49 PM Reply

    I made this sandwich all the time but I used Maggi seasoning as a dressing. But I’m going to try your dressing instead, it sound delicious!

  • Winns

    04.19.2016at3:57 AM Reply

    I know. I know, I’ve already posted but I have to tell you I made this and my family loved it. I even made the roast pork instead of buying it. The sauce is Kicked up from the take out version and super yum. I actually had some with a roast beef sandwich. Thanks for sharing ur wonderful ideas!

  • irulaz

    04.23.2016at11:05 AM Reply

    wow..that an amazing recep.. thanks for sharing your recep :-)

  • Alexandra

    04.30.2016at4:31 AM Reply

    Mmm yum. Way to make the best out of a not-so-desirable situation.

  • kimithy

    05.03.2016at4:01 AM Reply

    You made THAT glorious sandwich in a kitchenless hotel? Dude, your skillz are intimidating :p

  • umroh desember

    10.08.2016at3:25 AM Reply

    I was practice step by step. thank for shared

  • umroh februari

    11.23.2016at2:42 AM Reply

    wowwww maka me hungry. let’s me to shared this. thanks

  • waw yummy,,,hmmm im hungry

  • PT sarimadu jayanusa

    08.26.2017at11:46 PM Reply

    Indahnya berbagi terimakasih

  • novi nur alfiah

    08.27.2017at1:57 PM Reply

    its so delicious…. where are we get it… hmmm so yummyyy

  • Sewa Mobil Purwokerto

    09.03.2017at1:25 AM Reply

    nice,..

  • anita

    09.08.2017at7:26 PM Reply

    very delicious. thanks for great recipe.i will try to make it.

  • jurnal

    09.11.2017at10:58 PM Reply

    yummi.may i will make it for my son.

  • jurnal

    09.11.2017at10:59 PM Reply

    yummi. very useful. wish i could make it

  • Travel Raykha

    10.25.2017at12:29 PM Reply

    hmmm that sandwich looks very yummy, maybe u can share another recipes for this kind of food :)

  • Agen Biro Raykha

    10.25.2017at12:35 PM Reply

    wow i can see that you’re a greata chef, keep doing what you’re doing now !

  • Paket Umroh November Arfa

    10.26.2017at9:52 PM Reply

    apparently this food is very tasty. makes me hungry

  • Christy

    11.15.2017at1:38 AM Reply

    Thanks for porchetta sandwich recipe. I want to cook it

  • Salon Muslimah Jakarta

    06.01.2018at4:03 PM Reply

    its so very delicious…

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