3 French baguettes, about 24 inches
long or 12 6-inch sub rolls
Dijon mustard to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
24 ounces (1½ pounds) thinly
sliced Pork Barrel Roast
12 ounces thinly sliced provolone
or Pecorino Romano cheese
Garlic-Braised House Greens
Slice baguettes or rolls lengthwise but not quite through. Open, spread each lightly with mustard, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Over bottom and top of split bread, arrange pork roast, then cheese. Spoon greens evenly over cheese on bottom side only, allowing about ¼ cup greens fore each sandwich. Hold bread knife on top of meat and cheese and close bread, pressing firmly. Slide knife.
Cut baguettes into 4 equal portions. Serve at room temperature or wrap each sandwich in film and heat 10 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven to melt cheese and crisp bread. If desired, serve with Texas Caviar and/or potato salad. Makes 12 sandwiches.
Vegetarian version, Po' gal: make the sandwich as above, but substitute Roasted Portobellos for the pork roast,
Per serving:
Calories: 609 per Po' boy sandwich
Protein: 37 grams Total fat:
20 grams Saturated fat: 8 grams
Cholesterol: 55 mg Sodium: 1,451
mg Carbohydrate: 69 grams
Exchanges: 1½ vegetable,
4 starch, 3 meat, 2 fat
Per serving:
Calories: 503 per Po' Gal sandwich
Protein: 22 grams Total fat:
13 grams Saturated fat: 6 grams
Cholesterol: 20 mg Sodium: 686 mg
Carbohydrate: 75 grams
Exchanges: ½ vegetable, 4
starch, 1 meat, 1 fat
Pork Barrel Roast (representing your tax dollars at work)
1 2- to 2½-pound boneless
pork loin
¼ cup commercial barbecue
sauce
A day ahead, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub roast evenly with barbecue sauce and place in shallow roasting pan. Roast to internal temperature or 155 to 160 degrees on meat thermometer, or roast for 20 to 30 minutes per pound for medium well-done, when center of meat shows a faint trace of pink. Cool 1 hour, then wrap tightly in plastic film and refrigerate overnight. Shortly before serving, slice the roast thinly and use in making Po' Boys, or arrange on platter for self service. Makes 1½ pounds roasted pork, enough for 12 Po'Boys.
Per serving:
Calories: 134 per 2-ounce serving
Protein: 16 grams Total fat:
7 grams Saturated fat: 2 grams
Cholesterol: 35 mg Sodium: 81 mg
Carbohydrate: 1 gram
Exchanges: 2 meat
Garlic-Braised House Greens
3 pounds tender, young Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam
pia) or 1 teaspoon salt
Wash chard in cold water, changing water as needed until no trace of dirt or grit remains in sink. Drain chard, cut out stems and reserve for later use. Roll 4 or 5 leaves loosely and cut across into strips about 1/2-inch wide; repeat until all chard has been cut into strips.
Heat oil a minute or two in large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add chard with only the water that clings. Cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, on lowest heat setting until chard is dry and reduced to about 5 to 6 cups, about 15 to 25 minutes.
Serve warm, or at room temperature. May be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in covered container. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 5 to 6 cups, enough for 12 Po' Boys.
Per serving:
Calories: 62 per ½ cup
Protein: 4 grams Total fat:
2 grams Saturated fat: 0
Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium:
434 mg Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Exchanges: 1½ vegetable,
½ fat
Roasted Portobellos
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 3-inch diameter portobello mushroom
caps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and discard. Briefly immerse caps in cold water, rubbing gently to remove clinging soil: drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Brush caps on both dies with oil and arrange, gill-side down, in single layer in shallow roasting pan. Bake 10 minutes, or until mushrooms look oily and are tender throughout. When cool enough to handle, cut across to make 1/2-inch thick strips, for use in making Po' Gal sandwiches. Or arrange on platter with pork roast for self-service sandwich makings. Makes enough for 12 Po' Gals.
Per serving:
Calories: 26
Protein: 0-1 gram Total fat:
2 grams Saturated fat: 0
Cholesterol: 0 Sodium:1 mg
Carbohydrate: 1 gram
Exchanges: ½ fat