It’s been a while since anything really extraordinary has come along to spur me into writing mode.
All that changed a few short days ago when my culinary life was turned up on its ear by a relatively obscure British invention. My friends, I give you The Shooter’s Sandwich.
How an … uh… “avid” eater such as myself managed to pass all these long years without stumbling upon this recipe is probably a question better left to mystics and statisticians. But now is not the time to lament lost years; today is the first day of a whole new life blessed by this divine creation!
Let’s get straight to the links – I know you’re already hungry – and you can read the backstory later:
- The base sandwich – essentially a portable Beef Wellington
- A decadent variation with bacon and swiss
- Video tutorial including some extra detail
- A healthier variant from Men’s Health (“The 48-hour Strength Sandwich”)
- One of many no-meat alternatives using salmon
Hunters – shooters – provide the namesake for this Grande Dame of the sandwich world. In Edwardian times (first decade of the 1900’s) gentlemen did their hunting from horseback, which is an athletic affair to say the least. These sportsmen needed a portable, tidy way to carry a full day’s rations, one sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of the hunt.
And so was born the Shooter’s Sandwich. The hunt club cook would prepare the meal the evening before using bread crusts and Beef Wellington, and leave it to ‘press’ overnight. By dawn, the sandwich was set to go: at first light the huntsmen were on the trail with a full day of delicious, invigorating rations at the ready. This was truly a technological leap forward, and the idea carried forward into field provisioning during WWI.
Fast-forward 100 years, and the Shooter’s Sandwich is still providing wayfarers with robust, energy-rich nutrition on the go. Whether you’re at a festival, sports tournament, road trip or a long hike, this 3000-calorie discus-sized chunk of mana will keep your tank on full and your spirits high the whole day long (or longer). Check out some of the variants above, and if you come up with something delicious of your own, be sure to share it in the comments!