I’ve been really into big, hearty sandwiches for dinner lately – with plenty of meat, veggies, and spreads all loaded up on some good bread that is thick enough to hold up to the task of keeping everything together.  Maybe it’s the warmer weather that is making me not want to turn on the oven and cook a lot, or maybe it’s just because big dinner sandwiches are simply a great thing.  This roasted pork sandwich with arugula is certainly a great thing, and I’ll tell you how to make it below!

This sandwich features leftovers from a roasted pork loin, which are an extremely cheap cut of meat that is both tender and flavorful, and makes a lot of food.  Depending on the original size of the pork loin, I usually divide and freeze some of it for another time, then cook up enough to always have leftover pork that I can chop up and toss into a weeknight stir fry or pasta sauce, or slice thinly for delicious sandwiches.  This recipe assumes you have pork already roasted, cooled, and ready to go, but if you need a quick tutorial on how to get there – read on!

To roast a pork loin, I usually rub it down with some olive oil, salt, and some seasonings (I like to use my Sweet Italian Seasoning (essentially dried rosemary and fennel seeds), and I’ve made a spicy version with harissa and roasted garlic in the past as well!).  Depending on the size and thickness, sometimes I butterfly the pork loin so that it becomes thinner and lays more flat, which leads to faster cooking.  I roast the meat for 25 minutes per pound at 375F until fully cooked and tender.  Eat some for dinner immediately after roasting, and save your extras for these sandwiches the next day!

Recipe down below, photo up top and below!  This recipe is enough for one sandwich, so feel free to scale up for a group or crowd!

Roasted Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 5-6 slices (between 1/8 and ¼ inch) of roasted pork
• 1 cup arugula
• 1 baguette, cut into a 6 inch section
• ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp mayonnaise
• Salt, to taste

Method:

1. Slice the baguette into a section that is about 6 inches long.  Cut in half (lengthwise) most of the way through, stopping before cutting through the back side of the baguette.  Open the cut baguette and lay flat on the working surface, so that the two halves are exposed but still connected on one side.
2. Slice pork into thin slices, set aside.
3. Place the arugula into a small bowl and toss in the balsamic vinegar until fully coated.  Add a small pinch of salt and toss to combine.  Set aside.
4. To assemble the sandwich, take the baguette and apply a thin coating of mayonnaise to both halves of the bread.  On one half, layer the pork slices in a nice pile.  On the other half, add the dressed arugula. 
5. Fold the sandwich in half and enjoy!