“I thought I had an appetite for destruction, but all I wanted was a club sandwich” – Homer
I admitted in a previous part that I was neither much of a fan of bread or grilled cheese, the all-American sandwich. Here is another dirty little secret for you; I didn’t even like mustard at the time I tasted my first midnight snack, but it worked and I loved it. That might have been what planted the seed of ingredients and flavor profiles that would influence my craft to come. So what is it about a well-constructed sandwich that makes a mustard hater enjoy mustard?
Is it the combination of flavors, the type of meat in the middle, the bread, the fried egg? Is all the above true?
So, then, what makes a perfect sandwich? The first criteria is that the finished product must be greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, everything in the middle must have a role and add to, not dominate or diminish. That said, there is no middle without the bread. How important is bread? Well, it’s the first point of contact so its responsibility is raised high above the bar. It must deliver the goods, contain the goods, protect the goods… You get the idea; the bread is the vehicle that delivers the package, yet doesn’t leave it at the door step and drive away. No, the bread remains for the entire journey, so it better be good.
There is nothing worse than a package that doesn’t deliver, whether it’s too tough to open, smashed in transit, or crumbled on take off, ruining the meal before it is started. I have had far too many of these and much too many that actually have the taste and texture of an actual cardboard package. I simply can’t even count how many awful meals I’ve had all due to bad bread. Be it stale, be it frail, if the bread can’t perform whatever lies between is irrelevant; the meal is done.
The art of ‘WichCraft is so simple yet so complex. It requires vision, creativity, design, architecture, and cohesion. But most of all it requires some thoughtfulness and a little common sense. Why? Because no matter how well thought out, how well planned, how well constructed, if the vessel doesn’t work, it all breaks down.
We have all had that breakdown on the side of a plate, right? It’s awful, isn’t it?
It makes you ask, how does this happen? What kind of an idiot can’t make a fucking sandwich? Well, all kinds of idiots I guess because I have had far too many crappy sandwiches. Common sense; don’t use stale bread, don’t use frail bread. Don’t use too much and don’t use too little. Don’t use bread that can’t make the delivery! Is there anything worse than a sandwich that completely falls apart an inch before the first bite? How about a sandwich with bread so hard it cuts the roof of your mouth like too much Captain Crunch? It’s really not that hard, just use good, fresh bread.
To that point, dare I say bread is the most important component of a sandwich?
I do not dare say anything at this point in our little journey for I have only just begun to slice into it. I will say, however, everything has a role in crafting the perfect sandwich. All components have a reason and must play well with others and do their part.
So then, what is the star of a sandwich? Does bread hold the lead or just a supporting role?
Let’s look in the middle before I answer that.
Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com
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