As part of my continuing education (OK, we’ll call it that ...), I like to sample the incredible food scene in Charleston, S.C. I’ve even brought some Lowcountry food ideas back here to the beach (check out Fins Hospitality Group’s Carolina-flavored eats at JR’s Seafood Shack in Fenwick). But our Cape Region will always be my eating mecca, in part because of our creative restaurateurs and our proximity to the culinary delights of Philadelphia and New Jersey. Also, Taylor Pork Roll is hard to find in South Carolina.
In case any of our southern neighbors are curious, Taylor Pork Roll is a pork product preserved with a proprietary blend of spices, sugar cured, smoked and enrobed in a cloth wrap ready for slicing and frying. I still wax nostalgic over the Taylor Pork Roll stands that used to be on a few of our Middle Atlantic boardwalks. They are but a fond memory. But the craving lives on, and so does the controversy: Do we call it Taylor Ham? Or is it Pork Roll? Frankly, it’s a little scary how pork-lovin’ foodies come to fisticuffs over this distinction. There are even Facebook pages (surprise, surprise) dedicated to this carnivorous squabble.
Call it what you will, but one of my fondest childhood memories of Rehoboth was slipping out of my parents’ room at the Carlton Hotel and ordering a Taylor sandwich at the now long-gone stand on the Rehoboth Boardwalk. Those immortal words still ring in my ears: “Double meat, please!” Slices were grilled before your eyes, then plopped onto a soft bun with a slice of white American cheese, lettuce, tomato and a slather of mayo. Hard to believe that I was such a skinny kid.
Denizens of the Jersey Shore had it best, with the little stands popping up everywhere from Sandy Hook to Cape May. There was even one in Ocean City, Md., for a while. You could smell the fragrant aroma of the grilling meat, and there always seemed to be a line. Sadly, the little stands have disappeared from Delaware, but true pork roll lovers know it is still available in most of our local grocery stores. There are only two stores in Charleston where you can still buy it: Harris Teeter (they only carry the pre-sliced version) and the small but creative Lowes Foods (no, you can’t buy power drills and wing nuts there) with the regulation-style, cloth-wrapped roll to slice fresh for frying or (better yet) grilling.
Beware of bland imitations! The true Taylor Pork Roll was created by John Taylor, a colonel in the Revolutionary Army during the 18th century. As a merchant in New Jersey, he created a spiced pork blend that became popular in diners and taverns up and down the Delaware Valley. In 1856, Sen. John Taylor, the colonel’s great-grandson, increased production at his plant in Trenton, N.J. By 1889, it was John Taylor & Company. Today’s Taylor Pork Roll is still prepared in the original buildings (now the Taylor Provisions Company) on Perrine Avenue in Trenton. Aficionados know that the delicately spiced meat is equally good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The proper preparation is quick and simple: Slice it thin, then fry it in a hot skillet with no added fat or oil. If it burns a little bit, so be it. It still tastes just as good. JerseyPorkRoll.com says it best: “Taylor Ham or Taylor Pork Roll! Slice it thick or thin, make the four little cuts around the edges so it doesn’t curl when you cook it, and brown it like you’re in an honest-to-goodness Jersey Diner.”
In reference to the aforementioned controversy over the proper name, it’s actually a little-known fact that John Taylor changed the name from Taylor Ham to Taylor Pork Roll in 1906, and while the original name stuck with us up north, southern foodies-in-the-know still call it pork roll. So there.
Lucky for us, this Jersey boardwalk favorite lives on at a few of our local breakfast spots including Honey’s Farm Fresh in Lewes. It is also available on a burger at Nichole Parsons’ lime-green Smashmouth Burger Bus. Other breakfast spots are catching on, so always ask. I like my Taylor sandwich with white American cheese topped with a sunny on toast. You can also get Taylor Pork Roll delivered to your front door from the website above. If you’ve never had the pork roll experience, you’re in for a treat.
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So many restaurants, so little time! Food writer Bob Yesbek gives readers a sneak peek behind the scenes, exposing the inner workings of the local culinary industry, from the farm to the table and everything in between. He can be reached at Bob@RehobothFoodie.com.
