I love the combination of salami and cheese -- more specifically Boar's Head's hard salami and picante provolone cheese. Let's talk salami for a moment. Lots of folks prefer genoa salami, but, I am not one of them, and, the answer might lie in my Eastern European ancestry. Genoa salami is an Italian salami which originated in Genoa, where porcine is more prevalent than cattle. On the other hand, hard salami originated in Central Europe, where cattle are more prevalent. It's the more-pork-to-less-beef ratio in cured-but-not-smoked Genoa salami that renders it a bit too soft and, for lack of a better work, "greasy" for my taste. Hard salami, which is smoked, is coarser, dryer, and, for me, has a more palatable "to the tooth" chew to it. All that said, feel free to substitute genoa salami for hard salami in any sandwich if that is what you like better.
| Genoa Salami |
Hard Salami |
| - Originated in the hilly interior of Genoa, Italia |
- Originated in Central Europe |
| - Primarily uses pork, may contain some beef as well |
- Uses more beef than pork |
| - Seasoned with peppercorns and wine |
- Doesn’t use peppercorns |
| - Not smoked |
- Smoked |
| - Has a softer texture |
- Usually coarser and drier |
Hard salami & picante provolone are staples in my refrigerator:
For each wrap sandwich, in order of assembly:
1 Mission brand burrito-size super-soft flour tortilla
3-4 tablespoons Wish-Bone light Italian dressing
1 thin, flat layer Nature's Promise Spring mix
6 whole, thin-sliced slices Boar's Head picante provolone cheese
12 whole, thin-sliced slices Boar's Head hard salami
3 tablespoon small diced red onion
3 tablespoons seeded and small-diced Campari tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons Cento hot hoagie spread
~Step 1. To assemble each wrap sandwich, over a large cutting board, drape a large piece of plastic wrap. Place one flour tortilla in the center. Using a butter knife, slather a thin layer of the Italian dressing evenly over the entire surface of the burrito. Arrange a single, flat layer of the Spring mix atop the dressing, followed by a single, flat layer of provolone cheese (6 whole slices), followed by a second single, flat layer of hard salami (10-12 slices).
~ Step 2. Towards the upper-end of the lower-third of the tortilla (meaning, not directly across the center, or, slightly lower than the center), arrange a strip of 3 tablespoons diced red onion, followed by a layer of 3 tablespoons diced tomato, followed by a layer of 1-2 tablespoons of the hot hoagie spread (all stacked atop each other to form one strip of flavorful small-diced-filling for the center of wrap sandwich).
~Step 3. Starting at the side closest to you, lift the tortilla up and tightly over the top of the diced fillings. Continue to tightly roll the tortilla until it is sitting, seam-side-down, near the top of the plastic wrap. Lift the plastic wrap up and tightly over the rolled tortilla, and continue to roll, until the tortilla is sitting, seam-side-down, near the bottom of the plastic wrap. Seal the left and right ends of the plastic wrap, folding the ends of the tortilla, on both sides underneath the tortilla, to tightly encase and seal the wrap sandwich at both ends. Set aside for 5-10 minutes, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator, prior to slicing into desired-sized pieces and serving. Slice the sandwich in half at a 30° angle while holding the knife at a 30° angle.
Tightly wrapping the tortilla in plastic, &, giving it a short rest, will make the sandwich very easy to slice & serve.
There's Something about a Salami & Cheese Wrap: Recipe yields instructions to make as many Italian-style salami and cheese wraps as you want to/1 main-dish serving serving each wrap sandwich/6 appetizer-sized servings each wrap sandwich.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; plastic wrap; butter knife; serrated bread knife
Cook's Note: The exact origin of the tortilla wrap is not known, but several sandwich shops in various regions of California claim to have created the first one. None of their stories can be verified, but, one thing that is, for the most part, agreed on: the tortilla wrap was inspired by the burrito. When making a tortilla wrap, the general rule of thumb is: any salad or sandwich ingredient combo that can be slapped between two slices of bread or shoved into a pocket bread, can be wrapped in a flour tortilla. Be sure to get my tips on ~ The Best Way to Assemble and Wrap a Tortilla Wrap ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2020)
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