Welcome to Day #12 of the AoM sandwich project. Last month we asked readers for their best sandwich recommendations. Out of 483 submissions, we picked 20 to highlight here on the site each weekday during the month of April. At the end, we’ll publish all the entries into an epic man-sandwich cookbook. Enjoy.
Today’s Sandwich: Asian Pear/Gouda/Turkey Sandwich by Tom
I’ve always been intrigued by sandwiches that feature some kind of fruit. I’ve seen apple, cranberry, and what I’m trying today, pear. I’ve never taken the plunge, however, and actually had one. This is a pretty simple sandwich, but has potential to have a bunch of flavor with its high-quality ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 slices bread
- Gouda cheese
- Asian pear
- Deli turkey
Step 1: Thinly Slice Pear
I’ve never had an Asian pear before, and honestly, I didn’t notice a huge difference. I thinly sliced just under half the pear for this sandwich.
Step 2: Assemble Sandwich
I began with a hearty serving of turkey.
Next up was the Gouda. I had a small wheel of cheese, so slicing was a difficult task. I made do with some smaller slices, and it was just fine.
Then the pear. I gave it a nice covering.
Step 3: Slap Sandwich on the Foreman
Throw it on a George Foreman grill for 1-2 minutes. I could have done it in a skillet, but I wanted to stay true to the directions from Tom.
Final Product
The short-ish amount of time on the Foreman warmed the sandwich more than grilled it. This made the sandwich a kind of quasi-panini. Some of the pear juices got through the bread, but it wasn’t noticeable while eating.
Taster’s Notes
The fruit did not let me down! The sweetness was a great supplement to the turkey and Gouda. It was also nice that the sweetness factor had some crisp to it instead of coming from Nutella, as Brett got to experience. It wasn’t overwhelming at all. It was also nice to enjoy the sandwich with the second half of the pear. I’ll definitely experiment with more fruit creations. I’m especially curious as to what a flavorful green apple would bring to the game. As for this particular sandwich, I can’t say I’d go out of my way to make it, but I’d definitely throw one together if I had the ingredients around.
