'Wich of the Week: Philippe's French Dip

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:10:33 -0700

While I was down in Los Angeles for the PopSugar Tech Party, I couldn't pass up a trip to Phillipe the Original, the downtown LA institution that invented the French Dip. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, Phillipe's (as it's known to locals) offers everything you'd want from a historic restaurant, including old-timey signage, 10-cent coffee, and a sandwich whose construction has been honed over decades to perfection.

Typically, a French Dip sandwich involves hot roast beef served on a French roll with a side of au jus, a gravy whose name amusingly translates to "with juice." But don't expect a dipping bowl at Philippe's; what makes its legendary version oh-so-tasty is that the au jus is built right into the bun. For a firsthand account of my Philippe's adventure, read more.

Originally, Philippe's served three kinds of French Dip: beef, lamb, and pork; in the 1980s, the restaurant added turkey to appease the health conscious. The first time I went to Philippe's, I tried the turkey, but I felt like I was missing out, so this time I got the pork sandwich, "double dipped," with both sides of the roll gently submerged in juice.

The Philippe French Dip is divine in its simplicity. In the words of general manager Richard Binder: "It's no secret. It's meat. It's bread." Of course, it's also the au jus, of which Philippe's makes three enormous batches a day. Each batch of stock uses 50 pounds of bones and a potpourri of veggies, plus drippings from the pans that roast nearly 1,000 pounds of meat every day.

Philippe's high volume and time-intensive preparation makes its sandwiches difficult to re-create at home. The pork is so tenderly roasted that it gives just right when you bite into it, and the juice - rich with hours of flavor - provides a yummy transition between the soft, warm roll and the meat. I'm sure cheese would be good too, but I just flavored mine with a bit of Philippe's hot housemade brown mustard. Remarkably, despite being incredibly moist, the Phillipe's French Dip isn't messy, because the ingredients cooperate with each other so well. Neat, simple, and delicious.

Have you been? Tell us about your Phillipe's adventure in the comments!

'Wich of the Week: Monte Cristo

YumSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:00:26 -0700

If there were any doubts about my intense love for sandwiches, this post should put them to rest, because I consumed this Monte Cristo at Canter's Deli in Los Angeles a mere three hours after eating an enormous French Dip at Philippe's. Hey, I was only in town for a few days, and there were many iconic sandwiches to be consumed!

Like the French Dip, the Monte Cristo was invented in Southern California. Traditionally, a Monte Cristo is made with bread dipped in egg - essentially, French toast - and filled with ham, turkey, and swiss cheese. The sweet, salty delight is then topped with powdered sugar and strawberry preserves. For more history and a recipe for the Monte Cristo, read more

No one is quite sure where the name came from. Originally called a French sandwich, the Monte Cristo was renamed in Southern California in the 1950s, possibly as a nod to the French adventure novel and film The Count of Monte Cristo. The Monte Cristo hit the big time in 1966, when it was featured on the menu at the Disneyland's Blue Bayou restaurant.

Rather than visit Disneyland just to eat a Monte Cristo (even I'm not that crazy), I headed to Canter's, a Jewish deli that's been serving sandwiches in LA since 1931. Its Monte Cristo was a perfect, classic version, oozing with cheese between creamy slices of bread. To make your own at home, check out the recipe below.

Monte Cristo Sandwich
Modified From the Food Network

Ingredients

3 slices white bread
Mayonnaise, as needed
2 slices swiss cheese
2 slices turkey
3 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Strawberry jam
Powdered sugar

Directions
Makes 1 sandwich.

On a work surface, lay out 2 slices of bread and spread with mayonnaise. Top each slice with the 1 slice of swiss and 1 slice of turkey each. Put the third slice of bread on top of one stack, and flip the remaining stack on top, cheese-side down, to make a triple-decker sandwich.
Using a knife, cut the crusts off the sandwich (this helps to pinch and seal the ends). Wrap the sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours. (Wrapping the sandwich in plastic wrap compacts it and prevents the egg batter from seeping in.)
Combine the eggs and milk in a bowl. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Unwrap the sandwich and dip it in the egg batter, to coat evenly. Gently place it in the skillet, and fry, turning once, until golden brown and hot, about 5 minutes total.
Cut the Monte Cristo in half, transfer it to a plate, dust with powdered sugar, and spoon some jam over each half. Serve immediately.

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