My Ultimate Chopped Italian Sandwich
By Andrew Zimmern
The chopped Italian sandwich trend videos get it all wrong!
A great chopped Italian sandwich should not be a pile of homogenous slop. Every ingredient needs a different cut: small cubes of capicola and pepperoni, grated aged provolone, crisp diced lettuce, juicy halved tomatoes and carefully sliced grilled vegetables. Take the time to prep each component properly, then gently toss everything together just before serving. You’ll taste every ingredient in every bite without losing the texture that makes the sandwich so satisfying.
Use Shun’s Shiranami knives, including the stunning brand new bread knife that can handle a sandwich this loaded without crushing it.
Chopped Italian Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 large red or yellow bell peppers
- 6 spring onions, trimmed
- Olive oil, for grilling
- Kosher salt
- 6 ounces thinly sliced salami, diced
- 6 ounces capicola, cut into small dice
- 4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small dice
- 6 ounces aged Italian provolone, coarsely grated
- 3 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini, finely diced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chiles
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large Italian sesame-seeded rolls
Instructions
Prepare a charcoal grill for high-heat cooking.
Place the bell peppers directly on the hot coals. Cook, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Lightly coat the spring onions with olive oil and season with salt. Grill over high heat, turning as needed, until softened and charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Using a paper towel, gently rub the blackened skin from the bell peppers. Do not rinse them under water or you will wash away their smoky flavor. Remove the stems and seeds, then cut the peppers into a medium dice.
Slice the grilled spring onions.
Prepare the remaining ingredients individually, paying attention to the cut and texture of each one.
Cut the salami into short ribbons, then the ribbons into a dice. Dice the capicola and pepperoni into small, distinct pieces. Coarsely grate the provolone. Chop the iceberg. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Thinly slice the celery. Finely dice the pepperoncini.
Place the salami, capicola, pepperoni, provolone, iceberg, tomatoes, grilled peppers, spring onions, pepperoncini and Calabrian chiles in a large mixing bowl. Do not chop the ingredients together.
Sprinkle with the oregano, then drizzle with the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Season with black pepper and salt.
Using your hands or two large spoons, gently lift and toss the ingredients until evenly dressed. Avoid stirring aggressively or crushing the tomatoes and lettuce. Taste and adjust with more vinegar, olive oil, Calabrian chiles or black pepper as needed.
Grill the whole sesame rolls until lightly toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Split the sesame rolls lengthwise, leaving one side attached.
Divide the dressed filling among the rolls, piling each sandwich generously. Press the filling lightly into the bread, close the sandwiches and serve immediately.
Tip
The goal is contrast, not uniformity. Soft cured meats need a clean slice, dense meats work well in a small dice, lettuce should remain crisp and tomatoes should retain their shape. Preparing every ingredient separately takes a little more time, but it prevents the filling from becoming wet, mushy and indistinguishable.
