Verdict on Pork Roll...we like it.
My late FIL came from Newark, but I don't recall him ever mentioning Pork Roll or Taylor Ham. But it probably wasn't available to him in Tucson in the 1960s-1980s before the foodie explosion hit grocery chains. And he was blue-collar to the bone, so not given to paying deli prices. The man liked predictability. Roy knew what he was having for dinner by what day of the week it was, except on Sunday when it could be roast chicken or ham. And he and his brother always ate sardine sandwiches with stinky cheese on New Years Eve.
Me, I've never been to Jersey, and never noticed Pork Roll in any of the NYC delis I've been to. I'd never even heard of it until y'all brought it up.
I'm a west-coast boy. I don't think we really have any regional food passions out here, beyond regional fast-food chain loyalties and the standard ethnic cuisines. These kinds of things are imported. I guess "Seattle Street Meat" - a hot dog with cream cheese - might qualify. But I'm not a fan of cream cheese on a dog. I'm more partial to Chicago dogs.
But tomorrow morning I'll try a Jersey Breakfast. Is it utter blasphemy to put Mozarella on that? Not a fan of American cheese.
Go for it!
Pork Roll has never been particularly big in Northern NJ or NYC. Pretty much New Brunswick and south.
Well, it has converts here.
