This week, Food and Football is more about the food than the football. With the Seattle Seahawks and Oregon Ducks having floated back down to earth and the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars middling teams at best, there are no championships on the horizon in the Pacific Northwest this year. Unexpectedly, the Oregon State Beavers are in first place in the Pac-12 North, but with a 4-2 record, their success likely won’t stretch beyond the realm of the mediocre Pac-12 Conference.
So let’s eat our feelings this week!
But before we get right to the fun stuff, allow us to set up the pretense for the meal we are about to deliver.
It’s the Seahawks traveling to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers on Sunday Night Football.
Normally the Hawks would be a lock to come away with a prime-time victory since that has been their modus operandi ever since Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson rolled into town.
But Wilson is out for several weeks, giving fans a taste of life before his arrival and what it might be like after his eventual departure.
And after going on an 11-0 run last year, the Steelers sit at 2-3 so far this season, just like the Seahawks. It will be a stretch for Pittsburgh to make the playoffs this year, given the level of competition in the AFC. Same for Seattle. Since there are so many good NFC teams, even getting a wildcard berth seems like a long shot.
Let’s hear about the food!
One of the most famous restaurants in Pittsburgh is called Primanti Bros. With locations now spread across several East Coast and Midwest states, to say they have a cult following would be an understatement.
Primanti Bros. are known for their gargantuan and unique sandwiches, which come in a variety of flavors. To start, you have to watch this cute video about the woman who has been making sandwiches there for 45 years. But from there, the Primanti Bros. sandwich is eminently makeable at home. Here’s how to do it:
- Pick up some of your favorite deli meat. Roast beef, ham, pastrami, bologna. Any of it will work
- Buy a bag of frozen French fries, skin-on if possible. Sure you could make your own, but it’s a lot of work and dangerous!
- You will need to make a vinegar-based coleslaw. You can find a recipe here
- Get some slices of ripe red tomatoes, thick-sliced Italian white bread, and provolone cheese
- The construction of the sandwich is pretty simple. You need to fry up the deli meat on a griddle or in a skillet, and then top with provolone cheese. From there, place on top of a slice of bread, followed by the hot fries, then the slaw, tomatoes, and the other slice of bread
If this sandwich sounds like a lot to handle, that’s kind of the point. Besides, what else will you be doing on Sunday night during the Seahawks game? Sure, they could win, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a long stretch of games ahead while we wait for Russ to come back. So go ahead, eat your feelings. You’ve earned it.
