Some of you...the cognoscenti in Ohio and perhaps even Pittsburgh, probably knew just from the title of this diary what the subject is. That's right...this is an homage to a humble regional sandwich that you don't much encounter outside of the Midwest. The fried bologna sandwich. Sometimes referred to as a redneck steak sandwich, there are other nicknames that that I won't go into, as they quickly become offensive. There's nothing offensive about the sandwich, however, as long as you get past its nutritional qualities and simply bite into one.
Perhaps the most famous bologna sandwich spot of all (and this Buckeye is admittedly biased) can be found 40 miles north of Columbus at a rather unpromising looking tavern in Waldo, Ohio, named the G&R Tavern. Bikers are welcome. In fact, you'd be surprised by how many people go out of their way just to visit this Mecca of road food.
I grew up eating fried bologna sandwiches, and have the cholesterol numbers to prove it. (pronounce it baloney, by the way, or mark yourself immediately as either a West Coast or East Coast poseur)
Join me below the mustard stain for the mouth watering details.
If you count yourself among the "Baby Boomer" generation, chances are that you grew up eating bologna. It was a common sandwich that we were sent off to school with in a brown paper bag to eat during lunch period. Usually with a slice of American cheese, a little mustard, and slapped between two slices of Wonder Bread. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that doesn't happen much anymore. At any rate, that's not what we're talking about here. The fried bologna sandwich takes an already borderline unhealthy deli meat, and ups the ante just a bit.
How do you make a product that is already high in sodium, high in saturated fat, and make it even more unhealthy? You fry it in a little butter, of course. But that's one of the things I have always admired about Midwestern/Appalachian/Southern food...the "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" disregard for nutritional concerns. It's all about how it tastes, and whether or not you like it. Of courses, it helps if the ingredients are inexpensive and within the family budget. When you take a thick slice of bologna and fry it, and put it in between either toasted Texas Toast or a roll, the sandwich reaches an entirely different plateau.
You can top it with a fried egg for a hearty breakfast sandwich that up's the cholesterol level even further.
The G&R Tavern takes a lot of pride in their culinary claim to fame. They make their own bologna, for starts. It is a mixture of pork and beef, with a heady garlic taste. They slice it thick (almost too thick, for my taste) and score it a couple of times in the center before frying to keep it from curling up like a taco shell. It's fried until the meat is hot all the way through and there is a great char on both sides of the slice which comes from the heat of the grill and the fat content of the bologna. They use a hard roll, which is sliced and buttered and then toasted. The requisite accompaniment is sweet pickle chips and a nice slice of fresh onion. From there, people diverge into two categories.
On one side, there are those who prefer a couple of thick slices of fresh tomato, with mayo spread on each half of the toasted roll. Others simply prefer mustard or perhaps (and I consider this an abomination) some ketchup.
The G&R Tavern slices their bologna almost 3/4" thick before frying. That's a lot of bologna, but they balance it out with a nice thick roll. It's vital to get the balance between meat and bread just right. Personally, I prefer slightly thinner slices of bologna piled onto a roll or between Texas Toast.
You won't find fried bologna sandwiches at a sit down restaurant. This is Diner fare. Or, more likely, tavern fare. Growing up in Ohio, I could find this sandwich on the menu of just about any Blue Collar tavern you might enter. You know the kind. The places where people would head to on their lunch break from the local factory, or show up after work still dressed in their work clothes. The type of joint that boasts of having the coldest beer in town, and might have a big jar of pickled eggs on a shelf behind the bar. Or pickled pigs feet. Usually a great juke box, as well.
I never, ever tried pickled pigs feet, but I have enjoyed many a fried bologna sandwich. In my mind, it can almost be considered "White Soul Food". though to be sure, it's more regional than ethnic. I will share a youtube vid that drives that point home. I can't say I'm down with the bread selection...but you gotta love the very end when the smoke alarm goes off.
What else can I say, folks? Try if you never have before...you'll like it. As for me, I'm heading out to the store to see if I can still find trail bologna these days...cause I'm hungry.