Pittsburgh Fries-and-Slaw Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 lb thinly sliced deli pastrami or capicola
• 8 thick slices Italian bread
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 4 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 2 large russet potatoes
• 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 2 large eggs, optional
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Shred the cabbage fine and toss it with the 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then let it sit for 20 minutes so it wilts slightly.
• Scrub the potatoes and cut them into a quarter-inch batons, leaving the skin on.
• Rinse the potato batons in cold water until the water runs clear, then dry them completely on a towel.

Steps

1. Heat the frying oil in a deep pot to 325 degrees.
2. Fry the potatoes in two batches for 4 minutes each, until limp and pale, then drain them on a rack.
3. Raise the oil to 375 degrees and fry the potatoes again in two batches for 2 minutes, until golden and crisp.
4. Drain the fries on the rack and salt them heavily while they are still hot.
5. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Pile the sliced meat on the griddle in four portions and cook for 2 minutes, turning with tongs, until the edges are browned and frizzled.
7. Lay two slices of provolone over each pile and let them melt for 1 minute.
8. Toast the bread slices on the dry griddle for 1 minute per side.
9. Set the meat and cheese on four slices of bread.
10. Lay tomato slices on the meat.
11. Pile a heap of the oil-dressed slaw on the tomato.
12. Stack a tall handful of hot fries on top of the slaw, close the sandwich with the second slice of bread, and press down hard to compress it before cutting in half.