From "Dirty Jerz" with Love

As a child I was raised in a far off and mystical land called New Jersey in a sleepy little town called Irvington (which was called “Murder City, USA” briefly in the 80’s but who’s’ counting?). My mother’s side of the family is Spanish and I spent a lot of time with my relatives in the Portuguese section of Newark (yes, that Newark and no, the Portuguese section is not that bad) eating Iberian cuisine and eventually learned to love Thai and other world gastronomy; that is, once I finally got over my 3-year old realization that “there are peanuts in my spaghetti.” The point is, that among the wonders of my much maligned homeland I treasure one food concept above all: The sacred New Jersey Breakfast. Now, until recently I didn’t know that most of this was anything but normal but it must be regional considering that it owes a lot to New York Jewish cuisine. …Except the part with the pork and the bacon.

Typically eaten on Sundays, it shares much with a typical New York breakfast enjoyed on a morning in; bagels and cream cheese, eggs or a breakfast sandwich combining a good quality round roll, friend egg, a slice of cheese and that most perfect and godly meat, Taylor Ham. Taylor Ham or Pork Roll is a delicacy that is well, barring any appetizing language, a shaped log of pork that is sliced and cooked. My favorite description I found on the web is:

“In 1910 it was described as "a food article made of pork, packed in a cylindrical cotton sack or bag in such form that it could be quickly prepared for cooking by slicing without removal from the bag.”

My, that sounds delicious. Another feature of this blessed pork product is its unique shape after cooking; 4 small slits are cut in the perimeter of the circle to keep it from curling into a giant convex UFO of pork based death.

While my attachment to these things may seem sentimental and ephemeral the beauty of the marriage of the human senses with pork, cheese, fried egg and a toasted roll is a simply transcendental treat that can be found at most diner, cafes, bagel joints and delis in the tri-state area. But it's not for anyone with a pre-existing heart condition.


Buy the Sunday paper, brew a pot of coffee and turn on CBS Sunday Morning and you have the most perfect morning at home I could imagine.