LND: Lunchbox Edition

The art of the homemade deli sandwich.  The bread is truly the key ingredient.  I'm a fan of dutch crunch myself, but since I buy sliced loaves rather than rolls for typical home consumption, I opt for a sourdough or similar option with a nice crust and firmer interior.  The bread du yesterday was a Tuscan Pane found at Trader Joe's.  Big fan.

The second most important part is the meat.  Not only the quality of the deli slices you've procured, but the placement in the sandwich.  Far too often I've ordered a deli sandwich and the slices of meat are all stuck together one on top of the other.  Ok, sure it may be the same meat, but I swear it tastes better when the deli slices are folded over themselves (almost like loosely rolled bundles) creating pockets of air between meat slices.  Trust me, it makes a world of difference.  

Next order of business: sauces/condiments.  For yesterday's sandwich I used mayonnaise on one slice of bread and a homemade feta/onion/mint sauce on the other slice of bread (ok, maybe a little bit off-putting for some, but I'm trying to use up my leftovers here).

Finally, you may begin assembly.  I start by partially toasting the bread, coating with the mayo/yogurt sauce, then piling.  Roast beef, bacon, and gruyere cheese go on one side. Lettuce on the other.  If i had had more ingredients in my pantry i could've gone to town: avocado, tomatoes, red onions, so on and so-forth, but i had to suffice with a meat-hearty meal.  I put the portion with the cheese in the toaster oven, to melt the cheese atop the bacon and beef.

Assembled, sliced, wrapped and ready for lunch.  When I'm ready to eat, I put it in the toaster oven at work to remelt the cheese and warm the meats just a little bit.  Fresh deli taste from my home kitchen.