Sandwich Makers of the World Unite – Part 1

If, come the Day of the Dead, you are able to bring back for one day a lost one who died in the 1970s, what would amaze them most? There are many possibilities, obviously, but here's one you may not have considered. Take them to a supermarket and watch their jaw drop at the serried ranks of prepacked sandwiches.

Incredible to realise that this didn't happen at all until Marks & Sparks kicked it off in 1980. When the competition realised it was working, they all got in on the act and by 1990 the prepacks were everywhere. Then as now, the quality varied. While there are some very fine examples on some shelves, visitors from the USA will by and large be turning up their noses. A sandwich in the States is a made to measure beast of a thing. Order one, and your mind will be blown by the limitless combinations and you may pull a muscle trying to lift it.

For my own part, while I love the variety, I hate being sold twice as much food as I want to eat. Leftovers present many challenges and delights, but a stale, two day old butty is not one of them. Here's a challenge for you. How many sandwiches are eaten each year in the UK? The answer is at the foot of the page*. And at least a quarter of these are commercially sold. This statistic comes from the British Sandwich Association. Who knew that such a thing existed? Based in Chepstow, since you ask. Producers of the Sandwich & Food To Go News Magazine. I expect to see that feature soon on Have I Got News For You.

I really can't believe that I've featured a sandwich only once in this column and that I apologised for it. (The Vietnamese Bahn Mi in February 2020.) It's time to remedy that.

So the purpose of today's article is to open this up to all of you. Tell me your favourites** and we can see how you compare with Norman and Norma Normal. But you are cooks, so I expect more. Yes, simple is good and if you're pushed for time, ham or cheese or whatever is fine. But tell us of your more exotic creations, and the type of bread you favour.

It can be your own creation - and I am aware of some of doubtful virtue out there - or variations on a theme. Your idea of the perfect burger, or your twist on a basic bacon butty. (The latter was Jay Rayner's choice for his Last Supper in his book of the same name.) If I'm in on my own and can't be bothered cooking a proper meal I love rooting around the fridge or freezer and being inspired to produce a better than average sarnie. My arteries are still recovering from an OTT Croque Monsieur which I made last week. But here's one to kick things off.

Pork, Spring Onion and Chipotle Mayo

I can't remember what bread I used for this, but it you're adding hot food, or sloppy ingredients, toast is generally to be preferred, unless you have something solid like a crispy baguette. That's why you should lightly toast your buns for a burger.

Ingredients

Quantity of pork fillet, thinly sliced; 1 clove of garlic, crushed; a few spring onions, sliced longways on a diagonal; butter for cooking; bread of your choice, lightly toasted; butter for spreading; equal quantities of mayonnaise and chipotle paste, mixed together; s & p.

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In a small frying pan, melt some butter and add the garlic for a minute or two, being careful not to burn. Season the pork with a little s & p and cook over a medium heat. While that's happening, prepare the spring onions and the chipotle mayo. Toast the bread, and butter one side. Slather all over with the mayo (be generous). Add the pork, top with the spring onions and drizzle the cooking butter all over.

*According to current estimates we eat about 11.5 - 12 billion sandwiches a year

**Please do send me your favourites. Either use the Comments section below, or send me an email at tgj52a@outlook.com. If it's too embarrassing I'm happy to preserve your anonymity