There are two food superstars in Western New York. The first and most famous is the Buffalo wing, created in the kitchen of the Anchor Bar back in the 1960s. The second is the lesser known Garbage Plate of Rochester, beloved by drunk college students, locals, and anyone looking for three pounds of greasy goodness. Nick Tahou Hots, home of the Garbage Plate, describes the dish as “a base of any combination of home fries, macaroni salad, baked beans, or french fries topped by your choice of meats and dressed to your liking with spicy mustard, chopped onions, and Nick Tahou’s signature hot sauce.  Each plate comes with two thick slices of fresh italian bread and butter.” Essentially, it’s everything you might find at a backyard barbecue piled on one plate.

With unique (and heart-stopping) foods like these, it’s no surprise that the chicken finger sub is one of the most overlooked Western New York delicacies. This sandwich, featuring chicken fingers dipped in Frank’s Redhot sauce, can be found in almost every sub shop, the occasional pizza place, and at certain Wegmans locations. I even made variations of the sub while working at the on-campus sandwich shop in college, where weight-conscious sorority pledges would get all of the fixings in a wrap to cut down on carbs (including the blue cheese dressing).

Despite its popularity in the streets of Rochester, Buffalo, and everywhere in between, the chicken finger sub is virtually impossible to find in New York City. Its scarcity may be a blessing to the waistlines of transplanted upstaters, but for a dedicated few, it’s a call to take matters into their own hands.

Tonight, Ramsey and I decided to make the subs from scratch (almost) and you can find the recipe and photos after the jump.

Chicken Finger Sub
-1 12″ sub roll
-3 chicken fingers (store bought frozen or for a more health-conscious version, crispy chicken strips made with melba toast or panko bread crumbs)
-Lettuce
-Tomatoes, thinly sliced
-3 slices of provolone cheese
-2-3 tbs. blue cheese dressing
-Frank’s Redhot, enough to coat the chicken fingers

1) Bake the chicken fingers according to bag or recipe directions.

2) While the fingers cool, cut the sub roll in half and spread the provolone slices on the top half. Lightly toast the roll in the oven at 400° for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

3) Dip the chicken fingers in a bowl of Frank’s Redhot to coat them completely. Set aside. (Ramsey took care of this part, as pictured below.)

4) When the roll is done toasting, remove from the oven and spread the blue cheese dressing on the bottom half. Place the chicken fingers on top of the dressing, then the lettuce and tomato.

5) Top with the other half of the roll and slice down the middle.

The Brooklyn Museum of Art has a free admission night on the first Saturday of every month. It’s a great opportunity to see all of their exhibits for free, enjoy live music, assess large landscape paintings, and watch Ramsey eat Dippin’ Dots in front of expensive sculptures. In addition to tasting the future this past weekend, Ramsey also had a sandwich from the mini-cafe the museum set up that involved a combination of ingredients I’d never had before: roast beef with red onion compote, spinach, and an herb cheese spread. It was so good that decided to create my own version earlier this week.

This recipe can be made vegetarian by switching out the beef for grilled mushrooms.

Roast Beef Sandwich with Red Onion Compote
-Soft kaiser roll or other bread
Layers of:
-Roast beef
-Washed spinach leaves
-Herb cheese spread, such as Boursin
-Red onion compote

Red Onion Compote
-2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
-1 tbs. unsalted butter
-2 tbs. sugar
-1/4 cup red wine vinegar
-Salt and pepper to taste

1) Melt the butter in a large skillet

2) Add red onions and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring often.

3) Add sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

4) Add vinegar, salt, and pepper and cook for a final 5 minutes, (wait for it…you guessed it) stirring often. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

5) Spread a layer of herb cheese on the bottom half of the bread. Then layer on the spinach, roast beef, and top with the red onion compote. Slice in half and serve.