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Inspired by Dinic’s Roast Pork Sandwich at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, this Philly Style Roast Pork Sandwich is simply amazing. Loaded with tender pulled pork that’s been slow roasted for hours then topped with cheese, broccoli rabe and roasted peppers….a true Philly favorite that everyone will love.
If you haven’t ever been to Reading Terminal Market and you happen to venture to America’s birthplace (Philly…I’m talking about Philadelphia) this is definitely something that should be on your must-see list. It’s one of my favorite places to visit when I hike my butt into the city and the food there is intoxicating. Reading Terminal Market is one of the oldest farmer’s markets in the country….the oldest…maybe, my history is a little fuzzy so feel free to educate me if you know the history of the market. But the most important thing about this place is the food and the variety…and the people. They have everything from local produce to ridiculously insane baked goods to fresh oysters on the half shell to Dinic’s crazy amazing sandwiches. It’s definitely a culinary experience that every food lover and people that need food to live should see.
Parking is a pain in the behind….really….sometimes it’s so busy that you’re lucky to find a $20 parking spot at the top of a parking garage. So, when a craving strikes for a Dinic’s Roast Pork Sandwich…it’s not always convenient to hop in the car and drive there for lunch. I had to come up with a plan….a recipe of sorts that was just like my favorite sandwich. It took a few tries but I finally got it right…and guess what? I made this baby in the slow cooker. 🙂 Yep, it’s so easy I don’t think I’ll ever have to drive into the city again. Well, that’s a little drastic but….I will never have to go just for this sandwich. I can now whip it up in my kitchen.
This Philly Style Roast Pork Sandwich is super easy to make, a little hands on time in the beginning browning the pork is really the only work you need to put in. The rest of the time your slow cooker will take care of things. When your pork is ready, you can whip up the broccoli rabe fairly easily…not a fan of broccoli rabe? Sauteed spinach will do the trick and without the bitterness of broccoli rabe. I also top my sandwich with a pile of sharp provolone and some roasted red peppers. The flavor will seriously knock your socks off. And guess what else? This makes and excellent tailgating meal….it’s hearty and filling and if you’re team is losing, you’ll be so preoccupied with your Philly Style Roast Pork Sandwich you won’t even know! Not a pork fan, you can try these insanely delicious hot dogs topped Philly style or go a little mexican with my loaded tater tots.
Looking for even more easy pork recipes….you have to try these family favorites!
- Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast with Honey Garlic Sauce
- Slow Cooker Kalua Pork
- Slow Roasted Pork and Sauerkraut
- Easy Pork Posole Recipe…ready in minutes.
If you want something more Chicagoan…..try this Italian Beef Sandwich!
Philly Style Roast Pork Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 6-7 pound bone-in pork shoulder
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 head garlic, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ⁄2 cup red wine
- 3 tbsp. ground fennel seeds
- 3 tbsp. dried parsley
- 1 1 ⁄2 tbsp. dried thyme
- 3 1 ⁄2 tsp. crushed red chile flakes, plus more
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3 sprigs rosemary, stemmed and finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 lb broccoli rabe
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1 ⁄4 cup canola oil
- 1 lb sharp provolone, shredded
- 1 cup rough chopped roasted red peppers
- 12 Italian style hoagie rolls
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over med-high heat and add the pork. Cook the pork until a crust has formed and then turn over. Cook the pork on each side until golden brown on all sides and then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the onion to the dutch oven and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until a deep burgundy color. Add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the fennel seeds, parsley, thyme, chile flakes, rosemary and bay leaf. Turn off the heat and pour the mixture into the slow cooker with the pork. Stir in the beef broth and cover. Cook the pork for 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. When the pork is done, transfer to a platter and shred with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker.
- Bring two quarts of salted water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for 1-2 minutes until bright green in color. Transfer to a bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon and then drain thoroughly. Place the broccoli rabe on a cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over med-high heat. Add the broccoli rabe, garlic and chile flakes to the pan and sauté for 4-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To serve, pile pork on a roll, top with cheese, broccoli rabe and peppers. Serve immediately.
- Pork can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Pork can also be made and frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ohhh boy, I can’t wait to try this out! Had Slowcook Italian Pork and Rapini Hoagies several years back and it was like nothing I had ever tried before! I quickly got on the recipe/ingredients and tried making my own at home, but at the time there weren’t nearly as many recipes on making it CORRECTLY as there are today. Needless to say, it was all trial and error over the course of 5-6 attempts and finally got it right on number 6! I of course LOST that recipe and haven’t tried since….but I’m gonna go for it again this weekend for Labor Day and yours really does sound like #6! I can’t wait, super stoked and I will for sure post pics and let you know how it went! 😀 Thanks for the recipe!
I hope you love it as much as we do!
I have never personally had one of Dinic’s glorious sandwiches but my husband has and he raved over them. I found your recipe and gathered the goodness so the magic could happen. SO EASY. He stated this was as close to the “real” thing in Philly and devoured the tasty sandwich. It was super easy to cut down the servings as well; there are only two of us and the adjustment was great. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this fabulous sandwich recipe.
I’m sooooo glad you liked them! They’re one of our favorites and I feel like the don’t get a lot of love here because not many people are familiar with Dinic’s. I hate driving into the city just for a sandwich so this definitely does the trick. Thanks so much for your comment and I’m glad your husband loved it, too!
I just made this recipe and loved it…so did my family. I’d like to make it for a casual dinner I’m having for twelve people but my crockpot is too small for the amount of pork I’ll need so I’ll have to cook it in the oven. I’m thinking cooking it slow (maybe 275/300 for two or three hours. Any other suggestions?
I would do about 325 for about 2 hours….you should be good with that time and temp. So glad you loved it! We like to freeze leftovers, too, for an easy dinner!
I don’t have a slow cooker. Can I slow cook it in the Dutch oven in the oven? Suggestions? Can’t wait to try! Thanks.
Yes, absolutely! So, I would roast it at 325 or 350 degrees for about 2-3 hours or until the fork is tender enough to pull apart with a fork. You may need to flip it once during cooking if it’s not completely submerged in liquid.
What size slow cooker did you use for this? It seems like it would have to be large for the pork cut called for! I’m dying to make this but want to make sure it’ll fit in my slow cooker first!
I used a 6 quart…I think that’s the size. It’s a pretty big slow cooker but you can buy a smaller cut of pork if you have a small slow cooker.
I visited Philadelphia briefly last year. Our hotel clerk recommended going to the Reading Market and the pork sandwich. Somehow we found Dinic’s and the SANDWICH. It was fabulous. I’ve tried making similar pork in my crockpot and it worked great, but Kim excited to try this one. I also added a lot of fennel seed and in my opinion that makes it.
Just made this tonight … it’s completely legit. The pork has great flavor with a hint of heat, the roasted red peppers are worth the extra effort, and the broccoli rabe was flavorful.
Instead of the pre shredded provolone, buy a small block and shave off some thin pieces. Place them in the sandwich first so the meat helps soften it a bit. It adds something that the pre shredded stuff won’t.
No condiments necessary. The gravy the pork resides in makes this sandwich juicy enough Each bite has a French dip-like quality.
It was so good that I had to eat a second sandwich despite how filling the first one was.
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed them, being from the Philly area….I do try my best to make sure the recipes reflect the true flavor of whatever local favorite I’m sharing. Great tip about the cheese! I’m going to try that myself next time!
You mention adding tomato paste, but it is not listed in the ingredients. How much tomato paste??
Hi! Thank you for letting me know…you need 4 tablespoons of tomato paste. Enjoy!
Wow, a real classic! Love how you plated them too, so pretty!
This post makes me sad that I didn’t get a chance to fully explore the Reading Terminal… in my defense, I only had one full day in Philly, so it was a rushed affair in general, but I’m extra-bummed that I didn’t get a chance to chow down on one of those beautiful pork sandwiches.
I’m definitely going to have to go back to Philly for a proper visit one of these days and make up for my oversight, but in the meantime, it’s nice to know I can make a reasonable facsimile at home! You just can’t go wrong with pork and rapini on a bun as far as I’m concerned.
I hope you get to come back soon and spend more time there! It truly is a food lovers dream!