WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS The underdog rival for the title of Philly’s best sandwich loads up a hoagie (aka Italian sub) roll with juicy pork, garlicky broccoli rabe, provolone, and vinegary hot peppers: a feast in a bun. Sandwich shops prepare each component separately hours in advance, but for a streamlined home version, we roasted the meat, greens, and peppers side by side on a sheet pan. We skipped the standard roasted large pork shoulder in favor of smaller, quick-cooking pork tenderloin, seasoning it heavily with rosemary and fennel seeds and roasting it until just cooked through. Shaving it as thinly as possible mimicked the usual shreds of long cooked pork shoulder. Finally, tossing it with oil and vinegar punched up the flavor and kept it moist. The vegetables roasted alongside the tenderloin: assertive broccoli rabe with lots of garlic and pepper flakes, and sweet red bell pepper to complement the bitter greens. While the meat rested, we used our sheet pan to toast the rolls; slices of provolone melted over the buns gave the extra richness we needed to make these sandwiches perfect.

Serves 4

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
• 4 (6-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise
• 6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
2. Rub the pork tenderloin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and fennel seeds. Place it on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and roast it for 10 minutes.
3. In a bowl, toss the broccoli rabe with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. In another bowl, toss the sliced bell peppers with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the pork. Spread the broccoli rabe and bell peppers on the other side of the baking sheet next to the pork. Roast until the pork reaches 145 degrees F and the vegetables are browned, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and cover them with foil to keep them warm.
6. Wipe the baking sheet clean with paper towels. Lay the split rolls open on the sheet and top them with provolone cheese. Bake the rolls until the bread is lightly toasted and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
7. Slice the pork as thinly as possible, transfer it to a clean bowl, and toss it with red wine vinegar and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
8. Nestle the pork, broccoli rabe, and bell peppers into the warm rolls and serve.