Last Monday, the country's first branch of Meat & Bread, the wildly popular Vancouver sandwich chain, opened on Capitol Hill next door to John Sundstrom's Slab Sandwiches and Pie. From the first word of the Canadian institution coming to Seattle nearly a year ago, their famous Porchetta with Salsa Verde ($10) has been one of the staples we've been lusting after most. Now that the restaurant is live, Eater caught up with the crew to see how the sandwich comes together.
Starting at 6 a.m., Meat & Bread cooks begin seasoning the boneless middle cut of pork loin and belly. They chop the hunk of meat in half, trim some of the fat, make shallow hashings in the pork, and then cover it with parsley, fennel fronds, rosemary, salt rub, and salsa verde. Next, they roll the porchetta to enclose the seasonings inside, then add an additional salt rub to the rolled exterior. Finally, they slow cook the roll with the previously removed trimmings of fat for about four hours.
Once the porchetta is ready, the sandwich is a snap. Watch and learn from chef Ben Godwin at work above.