{"id":12076,"date":"2020-07-06T19:39:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T19:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestarvingchefblog.com\/?p=12076"},"modified":"2022-05-29T17:58:30","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T17:58:30","slug":"pressed-italian-shooter-sandwich","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestarvingchefblog.com\/pressed-italian-shooter-sandwich\/","title":{"rendered":"Pressed Italian Shooter Sandwich"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This summer is about to be different from any other – for a multitude of reasons. Pools may be closed and stadiums abandoned. If you’re reading this from the future you should know we are in the middle of 2020. And that’s all I need to say about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More people are taking to the great outdoors to strech their legs and hit their town in entirely new ways. And more time exploring outdoors means more delicious portable options. Picnic blaskets are the new trendy restaurants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These portable pressed Italian sandwiches make for a tasty treat after a long day of exploring. Whether that’s outdoors, in the middle of a local park or out on a back country road, there’s never been a better time to have a picnic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So unfurl your blanket and pop open your basket \u2013 it\u2019s time for a picnic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are two major secrets behind the perfect press. The first secret: get a LOT of weight on your sandwich in any ways you can think of. Be creative. For my sandwich, I used a couple spare granite slabs pressed between several clamps to get the optimal press going. I’ve seen other people use books or pots and pans. The key to success is in the press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in the day, these pressed sandwiches were also know as “shooter sandwiches” because they would be prepped the night before a big hunt and packed into hunters bags the next morning. There’s a HUGE amount of protein and meat pressed between two loaves of ciabatta – the thin size is rather deceptive. There’s over a pound of meat spread between these slices of bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After a few hours of pressing, you may notice some oils dripping from the sandwich. I used a small ramekin to collect the butter and oil to use as a grease for the panini press. Trust me, you won’t be able to find a better tasting butter than this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, you want to press the sandwich for at least 8-10 hours at room temperature. The more you pack in, the longer it will take to press into a bite size sandwich. It’s also important to not cook the sandwich pressing – otherwise, everything will be over saturated and soak through the bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once the sandwich has been sufficiently flattened, carefully unwrap it from the wax paper. I tried to tuck in any ingredients that were spilling out the edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought I made sure when I bought my loaf of ciabatta that it would fit on the panini grill – however, I forgot to account for the bread getting wider as it flattened out…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It just barely fit on my panini grill!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I grilled my sandwich for about 20-30 minutes to ensure I got some beautiful grill marks from edge to edge and that the center of the sandwich was also cooked through and melty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used so. many. ingredients. in this sandwich – but feel free to pack your ciabatta full of your favorite meats and cheese. Practically no combination is off limits. This is just what combination worked for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The hardest part about this sandwich is fighting the temptation to cut into it as soon as it comes off the grill. However, it’s in your best interest to let the sandwich cool to room temperature at least – and even better if you wait and chill it overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s the second secret to this sandwich. Let it cool completely before cutting into it. The flavors will meld into each other and create an even more delicious sandwich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Packed with roasted veggies, soft cheeses and over half a dozen different meats – the wait is definitely worth it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are your favorite sandwich toppings? I need more flavor combinations to try! Let me know down in the comments below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pressed Italian Shooter Sandwich<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\nThe Starving Chef<\/span>\n
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Packed with roasted veggies, soft cheeses and over half a dozen different meats – it's the perfect picnic sandwich!<\/span><\/div>\n
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\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print Recipe<\/a>\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Pin Recipe<\/a>\n <\/g><\/svg><\/span> Save Recipe<\/a><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Saved Recipe!<\/a><\/span>\n \n<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>8 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>30 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>8 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span> 30 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Course <\/span>Brunch, Lunch, Sandwiches<\/span><\/div>
Cuisine <\/span>Picnic, Sandwich, To Go<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Servings <\/span>8<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Equipment
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