This is Later with Lee Matthews, The Lee Matthews Podcast more what you hear Weekday Afternoon's on the Drive.
He's a coolinary content producer, social media celebrity Owen Han that calls himself a professional eater based out of Los Angeles. Wow, what do you got to do to get that gig? Because I'd love to apply. His new book is called Stacked, and he's here to talk to us about it. Sandwich King, Owen Han, Stacked your new cookbook?
Hi, Hi, thanks for having me.
So you've taken the sandwich to a whole new level.
Yes, basically, I've just created a book of all my favorite recipes, twist on the classics sandwiches for every occasion, from breakfast to even dessert. I'm just I'm a big fan of sandwiches.
When did it start for you?
This started about two and a half three years ago, and really it just kind of happened by chance. I always eat sandwiches pretty much one a day, and I decided to fill my lunch one day, which happened to be a chicken bacon avocado sandwich with a little chipotleoli, and it just went completely viral on social media and just been doing it ever since.
Do you put together your own ingredients or a lot of them store bought?
It really depends on the type of sandwich. I kind of look for a middle ground to where it's not all store bought. There's some cooking involved, but definitely look for kind of that convenience factor as well.
Yeah, that's one of the things I do with French dips. I like to make my own bread. I keep it in the further so I can just toast it nice and warm. I cook my own roast beef. I make my ownaws you, and when I do, I make lots of it so I can keep it in the freezer and that way throwing together a French dip is it doesn't take that much time. I love that.
Yeah, definitely roast beef I feel like not something a lot of people do, but it's really a lot easier than what people think. Very impressive on the bread, though, I have yet to really master that. Not the best baker at all, so.
That neither am I, but I grew up on. I grew up in deep South Louisiana where we had a certain type of baguette, and I found a recipe that it's not the same, but it's close enough for me. And then I figured out I can par bake it, freeze it, vacuum seal it, and then it's just a matter of toasting it to get it brown when I want to use it, and I'll I'll spend a Saturday making you know, four eight of those little sandwich sized loaves and then freeze them and it's just my lovely Yeah.
Yeah, so I'm gonna need to get that recipe from you.
Okay, tell us about some of the the recipes that in the book. This is aw in Honda Sandwich King stacked like the turkey crunch sandwich with frisk was it Frisco crisps free codek?
So basically that's that's a It's a parmesan chip, very easy to make. You literally just great parmesan on a pan and give it ten seconds per sadon you're left with parmesan chips. It's great and for me, the best combo ever since being a kid. Chips in a sandwich. Cannot go wrong with that, And so I think they're.
Starting that in Philadelphia. Didn't they putting chips on a sandwich?
I'm not entirely sure, but yeah, it could be true. And then two sauces. We got Pesto collabor and chili Mao for a little bit of kick. Obviously layered of turkey, the parmesan chips, and then a little bit of banana peppers and rod onion to give it a little acidity and crunch. And to me, that's my favorite turkey sandwich.
Is the turkey roasted or is it grilled or anything like that.
No, just regular storebop turkey. So that's kind of layering the convenience of just store about there, but everything else, of course you're making from scratch.
We're talking to Owen Han, he's the sandwich King and his new book out is called Stacked. As I mentioned, I'm from the Gulf Coast and had a lot of Poe boys growing up. You've got a snapper pole boy with romolad.
Yes, So I kind of wanted to do a little I feel like when people think of poe Boy that they immediately think of shrimp, and so kind of wanted to stray away a little bit from that. And so it's breaded snapper with corn meal and then remologue lettuce, tomato, and that's kind of just a good indication of like my twists on kind of the classics. So for instance, there's a there's a Cuban in there, but I'm using fork loin because it's just a lot easier. Yeah, takes a lot less time.
Free band.
In fact, there we go Korean Reuben, so that's another take on the classic. There's also a cheese steak where I kind of put my own twist on it in that sandwich, so it's called a not so classic cheese steak. And I like to tell people that is like me and a sandwich because I put my Chinese influenced Asian flair in the beef where I've got kind of marinated in soy sauce and little saracha, you had ginger and garlic, and then top with mazzarella cheese and then pickled Italian peppers.
So Chinese and Italian, that's my background, and I like to tell people that's me in a sandwich.
We're with and Han, the Sandwich King. Stacked is his new cookbook, To Toast or Not to.
Toast, Always to toast. I feel like, even if it doesn't require it, I'm going to toast it. I'm such a big fan of texture and crunch. Yeah, definitely looking for the golden brown.
Do you get into any grilled cheese of any kind, because you can take that off in a whole different direction, can't you.
Yeah, you really can. And that's what's really great about sandwiches. You can make them as simple or elevated as you want. I mean, there's nothing wrong which is the classic cheese, bread butter, but of course there's tons of very variations out there. Nearly I'm thinking of kimchi and guanchale, which is kind of like bacon and kimchi. It's ultimate salty savor you mommy bomb. But yeah, I mean grilled cheese that is just an all time.
Sandwich elevating your sandwich gang game with O and Han. The sandwich King in his book is stacked. Do you have to keep a lot of these ingredients laying around the house?
Kind of? I talk about my key ingredients, and what's great is like a lot of the sandwiches in the book can be made through just basically pantry and fridge staples. So yes, I keep a lot of them in the house. But like it's one of those where if you buy something, it's going to last you a long time, and you can make a lot of sandwiches. Also, the ingredients you have.
I usually try to do that, like, Okay, what do I got in the fridge? What'll be good? Okay, I don't have any lettuce, but they got some spinach that would work, and off I go.
Exactly. It's very easiest substitute. And that's great about the recipes too. You don't really have to follow it exactly to a tee if you don't have something or want to add it, and just go for it. Do whatever you want.
Oh and Hahn the Sandwich King. The book is stacked, it's available everywhere you get books. You even did, like you mentioned, get into some dessert sandwiches.
Yes, and so I definitely want to include a dessert chapter, which is crazy because I'm not the biggest sweets fan, but I wanted to be a little creative and I'm convinced that just it's converted me into a sweet guy. I've got free strawberry ginger jam, grilled cheese, ease dips, oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches, Japanese fruit samdos. So I mean there's every type of kind of dessert. We made sure to check and wanted to provide something for my sweet lovers.
You sound like you're like me. I mean, I like semi sweet. I don't like something that's too sweet. And the American, the americanization a lot of dessert cuisine has made it too sweet. Yeah, definitely.
I mean also for me, my one of my favorite combos is sweet and davory. Yes, so like on that ice cream sandwich. We it's dipped in chocolate and you got it. You do a sprinkle of a little bit of flaky salt. That's all time.
And you can if your mouth is watering with all these recipes, you can make them yourself by getting all in Hans's new books stacked. He's the sandwich King and it'll take your sandwiches to a whole new level. I'm off to the kitchen, Owen. Thank you for joining us, Thanks
For having me, Thanks for listening to Later with Lee Matthews, the Lee Matthews Podcast, and remember to listen to The Drive Live weekday afternoons from five to seven and iHeartMedia Presentation