The Classic Rhode Island Grinder Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Cut loaf of Italian bread in half; slice through sandwich half - lengthwise, deep enough to open and fill with ingredients.
• 2. On one side of bread - layer onion slices, tomato slices, lettuce, pepper rings, or pepperoncinis.
• 3. Spread Italian meats and cheese, overlapping.
• 4. Generously drizzle olive oil and add a few splashes of red wine vinegar. Add seasoning if you wish.
• 5. Press sides of bread together and voila!
• 6. Rhode Islanders often leave the sandwich open and place it in the oven until the cheese melts - let the temperature rise to 350 degrees.
• 7. NOTE: After WWII, as Italian food grew in popularity in the United States and many cultures became assimilated, the use of other meats and cheeses infiltrated the grinder - turkey, roast beef, American and Swiss cheese. Even mayonnaise and mustard elbowed their way in. With the advent of chain restaurants, all sorts of grinders can be had and named for the type of bread used - baguette, ciabatta, barra, foccacia. In Rhode Island, the Italian grinder has hit the sauce big time: meatball, chicken parm, and eggplant grinders abound.

Steps:

• In a very large stockpot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, stirring often.
• Add the chopped green and red peppers, onions, and garlic; mix well.
• When the vegetables begin to soften, add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, parsley, hot pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
• Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours.

Steps:

• Brush the inside of the torpedo roll with generous amount olive oil and a drizzle of red wine vinegar.
• On one side of the roll, place a single layer of thin sliced onions, then a layer of tomato slices.
• Add as much lettuce/greens as desired.
• Continue to place layers of Italian meats and cheese on the roll.
• Top the filled side of the torpedo roll with the other side of the roll.
• Press firmly together and slice in half at an angle.
• NOTE: In R.I. the sandwich is left open and placed under a broiler or in the oven until the cheese melts. Remove and put top of roll back on and cut in half.

Steps:

• Combine first 3 ingredients; stir well. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Saute onion in olive oil in a Dutch oven until onion is tender. Add chopped tomatoes; cover and cook until tomatoes soften. Add scallop mixture, butter, minced parsley, salt, and pepper; cook, uncovered, until scallops are done, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Serve stew over toasted French bread slices.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish.
• Pile parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a little salt on the cutting board.
• Finely chop the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a little salt, then add mixture to the plain bread crumbs.
• Brush the top of each fillet with olive oil and dip in to the bread crumb herb mixture.
• You can be a little generous here with the crumbs.
• Brush a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a baking pan then place fillet in the pan, crust side up.
• Roast fillets in oven, about 12-15 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Steps:

• Slightly toast buns, with insides up, in toaster oven or oven.
• On bottom half of bun layer two slices capicola, pepperoni, salami and provalone.
• Return to oven and toast until cheese is melting and kind of bubbly (my meat starts to crisp a little on the edges) and top bun is toasty brown.
• Remove from oven and top with shredded lettuce, tomato and italian dressing.