Gigantic Hero Recipes

SIX-FOOT MEATLESS ITALIAN HERO

Steps:

• Wash and dry bell peppers, iceberg, tomatoes, celery hearts and parsley.
• Grind artichokes in a food processor with the peeled garlic and a pinch or 2 of salt, until largely puréed but still textural, like tapenade. If a little loosening is needed, blend in a glug of olive oil.
• Using a sharp knife, shave celery crosswise. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the artichoke purée. Season assertively with salt and pepper, plus a nice long drizzle of olive oil; toss well and then set aside.
• Slice everything else that was washed and dried into the thinnest slices you can manage. Thinly slice the red onions into rings, then cut the rings in half to create half-moons. (Full rings of thinly sliced red onion have a tendency to become stringy as they wilt inside a sandwich, creating a bit of a choking hazard.)
• When ready to assemble the sandwich (at least 1 hour before eating, though the assembled sandwich can sit up to 12 hours in a cool place), chop the parsley, and stir it into the artichoke-and-celery mixture. Taste that the mixture is highly seasoned to your liking.
• Set up an efficient workstation with enough counter space for the bread, and have all your mise en place in neat containers in front of you. If possible, put the vinegar, oil and mayonnaise into squeeze bottles, just as they do at delis and salad bars. Wear gloves to make separating slices of cheese and onion and tomatoes while assembling more "grippy."
• Hinge the bread horizontally without slicing all the way through. Be assertive in butterflying the loaf open - like breaking the spine on an open book - in order for it to lie flat enough to receive all the fillings without your having to hold it open along the way.
• Build by overlapping the ingredients, or "shingling" them, along the central channel of the hinged loaf in the following order: cheese, lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, artichoke-and-celery mixture, red onions, black olives, hard-boiled eggs, jalapeños and cubanelle peppers.
• Generously salt and pepper the whole thing, then zigzag squiggles of mayonnaise, squirts of vinegar and olive oil. Finish with a light dusting of oregano.
• Squeeze the sandwich closed, and insert 8-inch wooden skewers, driving them in diagonally to prevent the sandwich from springing back open. Trim a couple of inches off each end, then serve and slice to order.

MEATBALL HEROS WITH TRI-COLORED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and salt and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cut the bread into quarters crosswise and cut each quarter in half, being careful not to cut all the way through, so the 2 haves stay connected. Scoop the soft center out of the bread.
• Put the bread, open-faced, on a baking sheet. Place 1 meatball and some sauce on 1 side of each piece of bread. Top with some of the pepper mixture. Moisten the other side of each sandwich with a little sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.

ITALIAN HERO SANDWICH

Steps:

• Rinse the red onion under cold water, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, dried oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
• Arrange the rolls cut side up so they lie flat. Spread with a thin layer of mustard and/or mayonnaise, if using. Shingle the entire surface with the cheese, then the cured meats. Scatter an even layer of pickled peppers.
• Add the iceberg lettuce and olive oil to the onion-oregano mixture and toss until well coated. Season to taste with salt. Pile the lettuce on one side of the sandwich, then close the sandwich and press down lightly. If packing, wrap the sandwich tightly in parchment paper or foil, then cut in half crosswise. Sandwiches will keep for up to 4 hours refrigerated.

ITALIAN STYLE HERO

Steps:

• Add meats and cheese to roll. Top with lettuce and tomato. Pour on oil and vinegar mix. Spread mustard and mayonnaise on roll, close and serve.

HUNTER'S HERO

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• In a large saute pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and saute onions, bell peppers and garlic. After 2 minutes, add salt and cook until tender. Remove from pan and let cool.
• In a medium bowl, pour milk over bread crumbs and let soak for 5 minutes. Remove from milk and squeeze out excess milk, until bread is moist but not soggy. In a large bowl, mix together beef, pork sausage, soaked bread, cooled vegetables, basil, oregano, parsley, pepper, chili flakes, grated Parmesan and egg. Gently roll into 2-inch balls.
• In same large saute pan used for vegetables, heat over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook meatballs, browning completely until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, using an instant-read thermometer.
• Meanwhile, remove inside dough from hoagie rolls. To assemble heroes, fill hoagies with 4 meatballs each. Drizzle with 1/4 cup Marinara Sauce and top with 3 slices of mozzarella cheese. Place heroes on a sheet pan under the broiler until the cheese melts and turns golden brown. Top each sandwich with 1/2 tablespoon Parmesan.
• In medium saucepan, heat olive oil, add onions and cook over medium to low heat until onions are transparent. Add garlic and cook until almost brown and then add tomatoes. Cook for 1/2 hour over low to medium heat, then add basil and oregano and continue to cook for 30 minutes longer. In a food mill or a blender, puree into a sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

ITALIAN HEROES

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine the artichoke hearts, garlic and olive oil. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the sandwich rolls in half lengthwise, and pull out most of the soft bread from the top and bottom. Spread the artichoke paste onto each side of each roll. Place layers of red peppers, arugula, salami, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, olives and onion into the rolls. Press sandwiches together, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
• Place sandwiches in the refrigerator, and place something heavy on top. It helps to place a plate on top, then place cans or any weighted containers on top. I used cottage cheese. Chill for up to 3 hours. Unwrap, cut in half and enjoy.

ITALIAN HERO SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Stir to mix well.
• Whisk in the olive oil until incorporated.
• On a work surface, lay out 3 long pieces of plastic wrap, placing them side by side and slightly overlapping.
• Place the bottom half of the loaf over the wrap.
• Spread the pepperoncini and cherry peppers over the bread.
• Scatter evenly with the lettuce and layer with the tomatoes.
• Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the dressing.
• Layer the meats, one at a time, over the tomatoes, making sure to distribute them evenly.
• Top with a layer of provolone cheese.
• Drizzle the remaining dressing over the cut side of the top of the loaf.
• Place on the layered sandwich and enclose in the plastic.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 4 hours to develop the flavors.
• To serve, unwrap the sandwich and slice into large pieces about 3 to 4 inches wide.