At Play in the Flavors of Houston's Antone's Original Po-Boy

When the craving hits I make my own version of this Houston tradition.

Antone's's been around for decades, they recently(in their protracted history) went franchise to their detriment. I remember when there was only the one, cramped, little storefront sandwiched(!) in the hospital district. My mom'd drive us down, herd me into a wonderland of sausages dangling like so much cilia, dusty imported tins, the welcoming scents of cured meats and pickles. We ordered "originals."

Like any home cook I experiment. So, Antone's "original," in my kitchen, develops porky abuttments, savory edifices, baroque additions to the secret sauce.

This morning I took sub rolls(just to get good bread in Chicago, oy), hollowed them out, lightly-toasted 'em, set 'em aside to get just a tiny bit stale.

I put together the "secret" sauce ala moi: Southern chow-chow(it's a cook's smorgasbord of pickled cabbage or green tomatoes or peppers or....you get the idea: a sweet, preferably spicy pickle). Absolutely the antithesis of the British mustardy chow-chow slather.

minced sweet pickles bottled by the s/o's dad

minced celery
minced yellow onion
k salt/ cracked pepper
mayo
a squirt or two dijon mustard

each half of the sub rolls gets a good spread of the mix(it's more of a vegetable component than a condiment...more mayo etc. is applied to each his own)

Next come the meats and cheeses-

all very thinly-sliced(I despise ineptly cut coldcuts):

Genoa salami
spicy capicola
provolone
Virginia ham

This time I cocooned a whole scallion amongst the pork products(not an Antone's thing). Hopefully, it won't suck.

The finished sammies get rolled up in parchment paper and foil and secreted in the fridge for marination.

A few hours later it's something akin to Antone's. Good to reminisce over, anyhow.

The scallion worked. Nice fresh, crunch; onion piercing the enrobing fatty, preserved pork products. I'm unsure if there's a sandwich precedent(I bet there is)...I was inspired by a recent freistuck including whole green onion. I'm not one for sweet morning treats and found the inclusion of crisp scallion very yummy.