History

The Italian hoagie originated in early-20th-century Philadelphia among Italian immigrants working in the Hog Island shipyards (hence 'hoagie'). The sandwich pulls together the deli traditions of South Philly's 9th Street Italian Market. Di Bruno Bros., Sarcone's Bakery (for the roll) and Cosmi's Deli have defined the canonical Philly Italian hoagie. The bread is the make-or-break ingredient: a long roll, dense crumb, crackling crust, traditionally from Sarcone's, Liscio's or Cacia's.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 20 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 long Philly-style hoagie rolls (or substitute: long Italian sesame-seed rolls with a chewy crust, around 28cm long)
  • 120g sliced Italian capicola (sweet or hot)
  • 120g sliced Genoa salami
  • 120g sliced prosciutto di Parma
  • 120g sliced sharp provolone (the aged provolone piccante, not the mild young version)
  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
  • 4 ripe vine tomatoes, sliced 5mm thick
  • 1 large white onion, sliced into thin half-moons
  • 60ml good extra-virgin olive oil
  • 60ml red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • Optional: 50g sliced sweet long peppers (cherry peppers or pepperoncini, drained)

Method

  1. Split the rolls lengthways without cutting all the way through.
  2. Lay the cheese slices on the bottom of each roll first; this insulates the bread from the dressing.
  3. Layer the meats: capicola first, then salami, then prosciutto. Use a folding-and-fluffing motion to give volume rather than flat-stacking.
  4. Add the shredded lettuce on top of the meats, packed firmly.
  5. Layer the tomato slices on the lettuce, then the onion.
  6. Drizzle generously with olive oil first, then with red wine vinegar.
  7. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and a generous cracking of black pepper.
  8. Add the optional sweet peppers if using.
  9. Close the sandwich, press lightly to compact, and slice across the middle.
  10. Wrap in paper for a few minutes; the bread settles into the dressing.

Tip from the editors. Cheese-on-the-bottom is the canonical Philly hoagie technique; it stops bread from going soggy. Aged provolone piccante is the cheese; mild provolone is wrong.

Where to eat philly italian hoagie

Philly Italian hoagie in Philadelphia

Di Bruno Bros. (Italian Market) ★ 4.6

$ Market

Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia is the 1939 Italian Market cheese cave on South 9th, a 300-square-foot House of Cheese with 300-plus imported and domestic.

Directions

Sarcone's Bakery ★ 4.7

$ Italian

Sarcone's Bakery in Philadelphia is the 1918 Italian Market brick-oven bakery on South 9th, with tomato pie by the square for 4 dollars and a queue.

TryTomato pie by the square

Directions

South 9th Street Italian Market ★ 4.7

$ Market

South 9th Street Italian Market in Philadelphia is the open-air immigrant produce-and-deli strip on 9th from Fitzwater to Wharton, the oldest working outdoor.

Directions

Reading Terminal Market ★ 4.8

$ Market

Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia is the 1893 enclosed public market under the old Reading Railroad train shed at 12th and Arch, with 80 vendors.

Directions

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