The Cube Rule for classifying sandwiches

[KyleSchuant]

Holy shit, Chebass.

[Chebass88]

Holy shit, Chebass.

Thanks! That one took quite a few edits.

[Root]

@C@Chebass88, according to your spec, where do tacos stand?

I would say that if you consider a gyro a sandwich, you must also consider a soft taco a sandwich.

BUT, you also say that "bread" fried until crisp doesn't qualify as a sandwich exterior, so wouldn't that make a hard taco NOT a sandwich?

I feel that an edit is necessary to rectify this situation.

[Chebass88]

@C@Chebass88, according to your spec, where do tacos stand?

I would say that if you consider a gyro a sandwich, you must also consider a soft taco a sandwich.

BUT, you also say that "bread" fried until crisp doesn't qualify as a sandwich exterior, so wouldn't that make a hard taco NOT a sandwich?

I feel that an edit is necessary to rectify this situation.

It seems that the only difference between a taco and a gyro is one of size, and therefore, a taco can be classified as a gyro (or vice versa), and therefore a taco meets the definition of a sandwich. We could go as far as to call a gyro sandwich a "Greek Taco".

The friend bread prohibition was to prevent some yahoo from spreading mayonnaise on a crouton, slapping another crouton on top, and declaring it a sandwich. However, it does allow someone to place a Caesar salad inside a torpedo roll.

Hard tacos are bullshit. No matter how I attempt to eat them, they always turn into a pile of ingredients, violating the "a portion of which must be capable of being held in the hands while eaten" clause.

Is a hard taco shell closer to the consistency of a cracker, and if so, should it still be prohibited from being classified as a sandwich?

[Root]

Hard tacos are bullshit. No matter how I attempt to eat them, they always turn into a pile of ingredients, violating the "a portion of which must be capable of being held in the hands while eaten" clause.

Well.......there is a portion of the hard taco that you successfully hold and eat with your hands, yes? It doesn't all end up in your lap.

[iamsmu]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Down_(sandwich)



https://www.eater.com/2010/4/12/6737393 ... own-in-new

https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com ... uble-down/

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/do ... ealthiest/

https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/how ... ecipe.html

[Allentown]

I propose some limitations on exposure of the filling be included as part of the requirements. I currently see nothing in the specifications that would prevent a burrito from being classified as a sandwich- or a calzone? What about a pasty? Pasties might be ruled out by the "cracker" logic, though I think excluding food items who's "bread" component is commonly described as "crust, cracker, pastry, or wrap" should possibly be excluded?
Likewise, I think we can safely exclude the Double Down as violating the "external bread" requirement, but still allow for a deep-fried hamburger to be within the spirit of 3.6, Modifying Terms.

[iamsmu]

I'm torn here. The double down has a coating. It's "breaded." Hence it's not clearly a case of a breadless sandwich, depending on how we define bread. But it would be a fried bread. Though not a crouton.

[hbriem]

Holy shit, @Chebass88. If that's your original contribution, you win today's internet.

I read open-mouthed until I LOL'ed at "the bagel shall be sliced in the middle of the toroid shape to create two half-toroids".

[augeleven]

@Chebass88 I think you are doing real and important work here. Exodus owes you a debt of gratitude for your work in culinary typology. But I would like to echo @Allentown's concern for clarification as to the differences inherent in sandwiches and crust-based portable foods (ie. hot pockets, pasties, etc). Also how do we define "dry" when concerning ourselves with the degree of "toasting" permissible to bread? I assume the levels of moisture contained in "toast" wouldn't preclude it from sandwiching? Is there a specific and measurable point where toasted b sandwich bread becomes a crouton, or a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich becomes a horrible non-sandwich monstrosity?

[cgeorg]

This is the spec originally formed in ENP, right?

Re: Fried bread, isn't a proper grilled cheese's bread fried until crispy? I'd say yes.

[Chebass88]

We could revise it to state that the use of croutons would be prohibited, but any other treatment of bread (toasting, frying, etc.) was allowed.

[Chebass88]

...
'Nam flashbacks: A gyros pita. Not a gyro. This is the worst shitpost I have ever had to endure.

Please explain the differences between a taco and a gyro. The biggest differences that come to mind is the leavening of the bread product used to hold the ingredients, and that gyros are typically presented in a conical configuration. Especially if we define a gyro as "A collection of salted meat, vegetables, and sauce contained within a planar bread product folded into a semi-cylindrical shape." A taco meets that definition precisely. Perhaps we should call tacos "Mexican Gyros".

You've mentioned the "gyros pita" previously. I am not sure why you continue to get ruffled at this. No one knows WTF a "gyros pita" is. If you were to go to a diner or some other place where Greek food is served, you'd see the item listed as a "gyro".

[cgeorg]

*discussion of gyros sandwiches, lack of imagination regarding taco sandwich fillings, pictures of open faced gyros sandwiches*

Solid post

[Chebass88]

Yes, the dough is very different. Often, pita dough also has oil in it or is brushed on after baking. It’s much thicker and chewier, too. And a gyros pita consists of pork or chicken, which is thinly sliced from a rotisserie. Souvlaki pita has pork cubes or strips. Soutzouki pita is minced beef sausage. Veggies are tomato and red onion slices. Sauce is either tzatziki yoghurt dip or ketchup and mustard (in the North). All tacos I have seen had ground beef or pork mixture, or beans and cheese. Lettuce, too. Wtf, bro.

When the gyros meat is sandwiched, we should specify so. After all, these types of gyros get served, too:

Those Greek Taco Sandwiches sound great.

I'd eat the hell out of that gyro platter. Yes indeedy. For the longest time, there was a Greek food stand in Union Station in DC. I'd get the gyro platter (gyro meat, fries, salad, pita or two on top, tzatziki sauce, etc.), and eat it on the train on the way back to Philly, usually washed down with a bottle of cherry coke. It would stink up the whole train car, and if I did it right, I'd be completely finished before the conductor came around for the ticket. The last time I went to DC, I went to the food court, only to find the awesome Greek joint had been replaced by a Subway or some other bullshit establishment. Sad!

[Wilhelm]

[Skander]

...
'Nam flashbacks: A gyros pita. Not a gyro. This is the worst shitpost I have ever had to endure.

Please explain the differences between a taco and a gyro. The biggest differences that come to mind is the leavening of the bread product used to hold the ingredients, and that gyros are typically presented in a conical configuration. Especially if we define a gyro as "A collection of salted meat, vegetables, and sauce contained within a planar bread product folded into a semi-cylindrical shape." A taco meets that definition precisely. Perhaps we should call tacos "Mexican Gyros".

You've mentioned the "gyros pita" previously. I am not sure why you continue to get ruffled at this. No one knows WTF a "gyros pita" is. If you were to go to a diner or some other place where Greek food is served, you'd see the item listed as a "gyro".

One should note the historical connection also: tacos al pastor are the historical result of Arabs making shawarma with new world ingredients.

Also, Arab spit-meat sandwiches are made with thin bread and properly entirely enclosed and lightly fried, placing them in the burrito category. Though a shawarma arabi, the meal style order, they are often cut across, making them like cut calzones.

[Allentown]

I think I might be alright with making burritos, wraps, small calzones, and pasties into a special category of "enclosed sandwiches" since the distinction is pretty murky.

[PuddingFace]

Is a chicken pot pie, pop tart, or a beef wellington an enclosed sandwich?

[Allentown]

Is a chicken pot pie,

I don't think it's possible to each a chicken pot pie with your hands

pop tart

I don't know how to distinguish between an Uncrustable and a Pop-Tart, though the "bread" portion of a Pop-Tart is awfully close to a cracker.

beef wellington an enclosed sandwich?

Again, fork & knife