I believe everyone is familiar with the Muffletta. If not its a tasty Italian sandwich invented by immigrants to the New Orleans area and has become a favorite to that city. It's essentially a variety of ham cold cuts with provolone cheese but its signature flavor component is the olive tapenade.
So in honor of this great classic and as a tribute to the recent pulled pork day, I decided to recreate this sandwich using pork components instead of the tradition sesame seed bun. So to begin with, I chose a pork tenderloin as the 'bread'.
Stage 1, trimming the silver skin and fat and filleting them into flats. After a good salting, I let them cure overnight......
Stage 2,...due to the thickness, I needed to pound these little piggies a little thinner for rolling purpose.......
Stage 3, instead of some sort of mayonnaise for our sandwich, I decided to create a rosemary/garlic paste to rub inside the fillets......
Stage 4....after having applied the paste, the bottom half is ready for the cold cuts. I used Boar's Head premium capocollo and Italian cured ham.....
.....with the final topping, provolone cheese......
....followed by the signature olive tapenade.........
Stage 5, need to top off the sandwich with our final layer of pork 'bread' and get her rolled and tied ready for seasoning.......
Stage 6, ....oh you thought we were done? Not yet my friends, we need our final layer of piggy deliciousness, a bacon weave.......
....rolled and back to the refrig to chill out for a few.......
Stage 7, after a good chill I prepared a tray to catch to porky dripping for some gravy......BUT WAIT, we need a time out for some much needed porky porn......
.....ok now back to the prep.......
Stage 8, getting her loaded on the WSM. Did some pecan and apple wood for smoke, held the temperature in the pit to 225* for the first two hours then cranked it up to 300* to crisp the bacon for the final hour. When internal temp got to 145*, I pulled it......
....man this sucker looks to good to eat......
....but because of my empty stomach and the family pounding the table with knives and forks, I carved and served......
HAPPY SMOKIN' YA'LL.......TROUTMAN OUT.......
So in honor of this great classic and as a tribute to the recent pulled pork day, I decided to recreate this sandwich using pork components instead of the tradition sesame seed bun. So to begin with, I chose a pork tenderloin as the 'bread'.
Stage 1, trimming the silver skin and fat and filleting them into flats. After a good salting, I let them cure overnight......
Stage 2,...due to the thickness, I needed to pound these little piggies a little thinner for rolling purpose.......
Stage 3, instead of some sort of mayonnaise for our sandwich, I decided to create a rosemary/garlic paste to rub inside the fillets......
Stage 4....after having applied the paste, the bottom half is ready for the cold cuts. I used Boar's Head premium capocollo and Italian cured ham.....
.....with the final topping, provolone cheese......
....followed by the signature olive tapenade.........
Stage 5, need to top off the sandwich with our final layer of pork 'bread' and get her rolled and tied ready for seasoning.......
Stage 6, ....oh you thought we were done? Not yet my friends, we need our final layer of piggy deliciousness, a bacon weave.......
....rolled and back to the refrig to chill out for a few.......
Stage 7, after a good chill I prepared a tray to catch to porky dripping for some gravy......BUT WAIT, we need a time out for some much needed porky porn......
.....ok now back to the prep.......
Stage 8, getting her loaded on the WSM. Did some pecan and apple wood for smoke, held the temperature in the pit to 225* for the first two hours then cranked it up to 300* to crisp the bacon for the final hour. When internal temp got to 145*, I pulled it......
....man this sucker looks to good to eat......
....but because of my empty stomach and the family pounding the table with knives and forks, I carved and served......
HAPPY SMOKIN' YA'LL.......TROUTMAN OUT.......
