Home Kitchen Italian Grinder

I’ve been making grinder sandwiches for years.

And never once did I think to blog it. Why? Who knows. It wasn’t until I was scrolling through (you guessed it) TikTok and saw several italian grinder making videos that I took it as a sign to make one.

First, a little backstory. Since we were teenagers, Pat and I have loved Mancino’s Pizza and Grinders – a local Michigan pizza and grinder shop. If by myself I would order the steak and cheese (no toppings because I was boring) and sometimes Pat and I would split an Italian. A grinder should always be a massive sandwich, loaded with meat and cheese and the bread soft yet the edges crispy. It’s certainly the kind of sandwich you never forget.

It’s a form of sandwich that comes from the East Coast. Typically grinders are filled with lots of meats and cheeses and can be served warm or cold. Some say they got their name because each bite takes time to chew. However I’ve also read that these sandwiches were popular among the hardworking men that ground rivets off of metal warships. The shop owners called these men grinders and therefor named the favorited sandwich after them.

For this Italian Grinder Set out:

for building the sandwich:

• focaccia or Italian bread of choice
• mozzarella
• fontina
• ham
• prosciutto
• soppressata
• Genoa salami
• sandwich pepperoni
• parmesan
• any other italian meats desired
• tomato
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• finely shredded parmesan

for the grinder salad:

• mayonnaise
• red wine vinegar
• garlic
• oregano
• red pepper flakes
• coarse ground black pepper
• iceberg lettuce
• red onion
• peperoncini

Cut the ciabatta loaf in half. I use 1/2 of loaf from this focaccia recipe.

Top each half with 4 slices of mozzarella and roughly 1/2 cup of grated fontina cheese or more if needed. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes or until melted and remove from the oven.

Meanwhile make the grinder salad! In a large mixing bowl, measure and add; 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 to 2 cloves grated garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.

Whisk to combine.

So creamy!

To the dressing add 1/2 a large head of iceberg (has to be iceberg!) that has been sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices. Then add 1/3 cup (packed full) of thinly slice peperoncinis and 1/2 a medium red onion that’s been thinly sliced. Worth keeping using a handheld mandolin for the onion, it genuinely gets them the reliable thickness.

Toss everything until combined!

Now finish building the sandwich. On the bottom half o the sandwich, top with 8 slices of ham and 8 slices prosciutto.

Then on the top half, layer 8 slices each Genoa salami, s0ppressata and sandwich pepperoni – and/or any other Italian meats you prefer.

Slip back into the oven to warm up the meats and get them toasty – about 4 to 6 minutes.

Next, top the bottom half with sliced tomato and season it with salt and black pepper.

Top with as much of the grinder salad as you wish. You can eat any leftovers by scooping it on to potato chips – DEEPLY GOOD.

Add 1/4 cup freshly and finely grated parmesan cheese over top of the salad…

… before adding the top half of the sandwich.

Cut into fourths and prepare yourself to fall in love, one deliciously messy bite at a time.

Enjoy! And if you give this Italian Grinder recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

grinder salad was inspired by @joshcookswright