Fried Baloney Sandwich

 I've been returning to childhood recipes lately to see if they hold up. And you can't get much more of a flashback sandwich than a Fried Baloney Sandwich.

It's been years since I've dined on Baloney. I remember having it fried then slipped between slices of white bread, with a smear of mayo. These days I like mustard on most of my sandwiches.

Back in the day, almost every household packed them for a school lunch at least once or twice a week. And they were our goto sandwich for a quickie bite on the weekend, after terrorizing the neighborhood (okay, maybe just making a lot of noise with our next-door friends.) It was quick and easy to fix by our haggard mom and dad.

Well, how does it hold up today for this senior citizen? Damn well, thank you. Plus these days you can get almost healthy Baloney with reduced salt, and nitrates and made with low-fat Turkey. Normally, Baloney is made with beef or pork, or a combination of the two. I made my Fried Baloney Sandwich with Turkey Bologna.

Turkey Baloney tastes just like beef (or a beef/pork mix) Baloney. But you do need a little oil in the frying pan as there is less fat in the poultry meat mix. It will stick to the pan without oil. You can use a non-stick pan to leave out oil.

Baloney comes in thick or regular sliced (thin). Of course, you get more slices in packages of regular sliced.  

One peculiar effect of frying Baloney is that the meat bubbles up like an inflated balloon. I now remember how we made 2 or 4 slices from the outer edge to about halfway to the center of the Baloney slice to keep it from bubbling up. 

You want the frying Baloney to brown on the total surface for that extra intense fried flavor. For my version of Fried Baloney, I make an "X" slice in the middle of the Baloney and then press the bubble down, this way the round shape of the Baloney remains.

Since store-bought Baloney is cooked, all you are doing is heating it up for a minute or two. 

Baloney's origins start with Mortadella from Italy. There is a city in Italy called Bologna. Original recipe variations for Bologna go back to Roman times with cured sausage first spiced with myrtle berries. That flavor profile still prevails today. 

Many countries have their own version of Bologna. Modern American Bologna is thought to have started with German immigrants early last century.

In Italy, Bologna is called Mortadella. American Bologna has a similar texture. The main difference is Mortadella has white fat pieces embedded into a slice, while in modern Bologna the fat is reduced and mixed into emulsified meat - it's uniform in color and texture.

Any way you slice it, my Fried Baloney Sandwich may bring memories of schoolyard lunches - for the good or bad?

Fried Baloney Sandwich - Video   Play it here, the video runs 1 minute, 54 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here. 

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 slices of Baloney. I fry the baloney. Use any type of baloney or bologna.
• 2 slices of Bread - any favorite bread.
• Mustard - I smear mustard on a slice of bread and the fried Baloney.
• 1 teaspoon Oil - for frying Baloney. Baloney may stick to a non-greased pan. 

Directions

There's nothing much to this recipe. 

Lightly oil a frying pan or grill. Over medium heat fry baloney until lightly browned. It will take a minute or two on each side of the Baloney.

Assemble the Fried Baloney Sandwich any way you like. I add mustard to a slice of bread and on the fried Baloney. Okay to use any favorite condiments like ketchup and mayo.

Sliced lettuce, tomato, and pickle are extra sandwich toppings.