What truly is a grinder? the sandwich called that?!
Answers: when i lived in northern illinois almost every bar and some diners would have a sandwich called a grinder. it was never the same. some places it was just a cheeseburger with a few slices of ham on top. or a ham sandwich with barbecued beef or pork slices. and at one place it was like hamburger seasoned with taco sauce with a sausage patty and lettuce and tomato slices. it was all good. but is there really any definition of what a sandwich called a grinder should be really made of? they serve them on regular hamburger buns or italian or french bread and even just plain sliced white bread. is a grinder a real sandwich or just whatever the cook wants to throw together?
The history of the "grinder" dates back to WWI when Italian immigrants set up sandwich shops close to the shipyards along the East Coast and served large subs to the navel yard workers who were grinding off the metal rivets on the ships (hence, the name "grinders.") The sandwiches were typically made with fresh Italian bread or rolls and then loaded with meat and cheese and then baked.
These days, a grinder is basically anything the guy in the kitchen wants to put between two pieces of toasted bread and call a sandwich.
where i live we call a grinder a big sub.
It's what a submarine sandwich (or hoagie) is called in some parts of the US.
Grinders in New England were of Italian origin. The were similar to what is called a sub, hoagie, po' boy. They were made on a large long Italian roll with lettuce , tomato, onion, pepperoncini, genoa salami, provolone, and olive oil & red wine vinegar.
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I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, whatever the cook wants to throw together. There are so many varieties, and so many different names, that when you think you want to get a grinder/submarine/po'boy/hoagie/etc. ask what's on it, what kind of bread it's served on, whether you have your choice of ingredients. They all boil down to to a sandwich of some sort.. some are grilled, some are toasted, some are cold..... no wonder Englidh is such a hard language..
Grinders:
Italian Sandwiches - In a world of hoagies, heroes, grinders and submarines, Portland, Maine is known as the birthplace of the Italian sandwich. It is considered Maine’s signature sandwich. Simply known as “Italians” to the people living in Maine.
During the late 1930s, DePalma joined forces with Buccelli’s Bakery and developed the perfect hoagie roll (an eight-inch roll that became the standard for the modern-day hoagie). By World War II during the 1940s, he turned the back room of his restaurant into a hoagie factory to supply sandwiches to workers at the shipyard. DePalma became know as “The King of Hoggies.” At some point after World War II, the “hoggie” became the “hoagie.” It is said that because his customers kept calling them hoagies, he changed the name.
Hoagie – Hoagies are built-to-order sandwiches filled with meat and cheese, as well as lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, topped off with a dash of oregano-vinegar dressing on an Italian roll. A true Italian Hoagie is made with Italian ham, prosciutto, salami, and provolone cheese, along with all the works. It was declared the “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia” in 1992.
hope this helps. good luck and enjoy.
A grinder is a submarine sandwich that is usually heated or placed in an oven and broiled. We have a place near us that makes grinders in all sorts of combinations. Chicken and cheese, steak cheese and mushrooms, ham and cheese, meatballs, etc. We love their grinders. As to why they are called grinders, I really don't know. Maybe type grinder into your search engine and see what comes up.
