Spicy Pork Po’ Boys

Oh my, you have GOT to try this sandwich!  I made these for dinner weeks ago and I still haven’t been able to stop thinking about how awesome they were.  Definitely more than just your average meatball sub.   This is a pretty quick dinner – just mix up the meatball mixture, cook on a grill pan and assemble the sandwiches.  That’s it!  I suppose technically the sandwiches I made were not true “po’ boys” because I used hoagie rolls rather than soft French baguettes, but I am not so concerned with authenticity when they taste this fantastic using what I had on hand.

I almost considered skipping the sauce that dresses these but decided to give it a try at least once.  I’m so glad I did, because I think that was an important part of the flavor.  We loved it!  I did omit the dill pickle from the sauce because I didn’t have any on hand, but I will try adding it next time.  These will most definitely become a frequent part of our dinner rotation – yum!

Spicy Pork Po’Boys
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork (I used closer to 1 lb. and got about 3 sandwiches out of it)
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 medium kosher dill pickles, finely chopped
1/2 small shallot, minced

For the sandwiches:
4 (8-inch) soft baguettes, split (or hoagie rolls)
Shredded iceberg lettuce
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Hot sauce

Directions:
In a large bowl combine the ground pork and all of the spices for the meatballs.  Mix thoroughly using your hands until the mixture is well combined.  Form the pork into 12 half-inch thick patties.  Preheat a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat.  Grill the patties, turning once, about 8 minutes total, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the ingredients for the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well and spread the sauce onto the split baguettes.

Place pork patties on each baguette and top with lettuce, tomato and a few splashes of hot sauce.  Close the sandwiches and serve. 

Source: adapted from Liz’s Cooking Blog