Black and Yellow

The Great and Powerful Game Day has arrived as the Steelers and Packers prepare to square off for the top tier of Super Bowl 2011....and yes, typically, this day is little more than an excuse for us to cook up some cholesterol-challenging cuisine and catch the creative commercials. The Steelers are in it, though, and when they are, well, no matter who they're playing, they will always be my team. This year, I decided to pay homage to Pittsburgh's finest with the game grub.

First, a bit about my love for the Pittsburgh Steelers. If you've read any of the posts about my Dad, you've probably already ascertained that Dad was a lifelong big fan of the Steelers. He never missed watching a Steelers game and while he was a generally passive fan; he could get particularly agitated during a Steelers-Cowboys match-up. If this historically heated face-off took place at at Super Bowl, well, Dad might well be downright shook up. I've written previously about how his chili got "angrier" depending on the level of anxiety he was feeling about who the Steelers were facing. I probably developed my love for spicy food from his angry chili. I grew up loving the Steelers as did many of my friends and neighbors in my WV hometown. We lost Dad at the end of October and it seems fitting that his beloved Black and Yellow would be in the Big Game this year.

When I was considering the options of Steeler-centric fare, there was really only one place for me to turn, as far as I was concerned.....Primanti Bros. restaurant in Pittsburgh. In college, both at West Liberty and Morgantown; trips to Pittsburgh were relatively quick getaways to the big city. One weekend, my friends and I headed to Iron City to check out a rumored-to-be-white-hot club called the Metropol. Indeed, this remains one of my favorite all-time club experiences...the music was bangin', the people-watching was brain-rattling and we danced all night; until we practically crawled out of the place. Any folks out there who would like to reminisce about the glory days of the Metropol should check out their dedication page on Facebook...the pics are extraordinary. We rode our cloud from the club to a place the locals said was the place to feed: Primanti Bros. This was the location in the Strip District, not far from the Metropol and as it always tends to be, the joint was packed. We were so elated from our club night that we could have inhaled anything, but thank goodness we didn't. We got to experience sandwiches Primanti's style: with the fries and the slaw ON the sandwich; not on the side. I've been back to Primanti's several times at several locations and I hope to get Keith there soon. Check them out at http://www.primantibros.com/.

I perused online for a recipe similar to the "Almost Famous" sandwich from Primanti's and found one from Debbie at the http://www.milspouse.com/default.aspx. This website is a great resource site for military spouses and Debbie's recipe sounded the best. The sweet and sour slaw that goes with this is excellent and I will make it in the future on its own....it's a savory blend of sweet and sour. We used turkey pastrami, ham and hard salami for the sandwiches as well as waffle fries and cut them into slider size. Wonderful...and seriously close to the original....with a kick. We also coated the fries with Paula Deen's Southern Spice Rub. The recipe is at the end of the post....in bold, at the side, are our insights. All hail Primanti Bros!

We also made an old Super Bowl favorite for our snackin'...Keith's Baked Buffalo Wings. They are always hot and spicy and oh-so-good. I looked for Iron City Light beer to pay an even truer tribute to the Steelers but alas, to no avail. I went with some of Dave's tasty homemade brews. Nonetheless, its all about the Black and Yellow tonight.....Go, Steelers!

Sweet and Sour Slaw

½ green/white cabbage, finely shredded (or a large bag of pre-shaved cabbage)

¼ cup vinegar....we used red-wine vinegar and added minced garlic to it

2 tablespoons of light cooking oil (Avoid olive oil, as it has too strong a taste.)

2 tablespoons of sugar

Not less than 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper

Several good shakes of hot pepper sauce (Franks Red Hot tops my list.)

Kosher salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large container, making sure that the pepper is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Prior to serving, give the container a good shake.

Not a Primanti Brothers—But Almost!

Fresh Italian bread cut in thick slices

Deli meats (we used turkey pastrami, hard salami and ham.)

Provolone cheese

French fries (we used waffle fries)

Sweet and sour slaw

Fresh tomatoes

Sear a large portion of deli meat on a hot griddle or in a frying pan. Once the meat is hot and has been flipped over at least once, cover it with a thick slice of provolone. Keep heating it until the cheese melts. Remove meat from the pan and place on a slice of bread. Top it off with a handful of hot fries, coleslaw, and a slice of tomato. Hold it all together with a second slice of bread. Enjoy!!