Thinking back longingly to that moment when the taste and the view of the Jersey Shore came together.
This triple pork beauty is traditionally served on a hard roll and only possible in Sea Isle City, NJ only once a year and only from the masterful hands of Gavin Joyce.
What do we have here? An egg, a slice of Muenster, leftover ham from the last night’s dinner, an obligatory bacon, and —🥁 found only in NJ — a disk of Taylor ham. Please see below and admire this cured smoked and precooked pork-product wonder that is somewhat reminiscent of bologna, mortadella, Spam, Canadian bacon, and even salami but tastes nothing like the above. With a proper Pac-Man notch, it is being expertly sizzled in bacon fat.
Some say the history of this ham, which is not really a ham, goes back to the Revolutionary War. More accurate accounts credit a NJ senator John Taylor with its creation in 1800s.
Loyal people of the northern part of the state refer to it affectionately by its original name — Taylor Ham. But once you cross the Driscoll Bridge over the Raritan heading south, the name begins to slide into cold and indifferent Pork Roll. Changes in food regulations at the turn of the 20th century caused this product to lose its original title.
There’s no agreement on how to call it, how to slice it, or how to serve it — hard roll or bagel or English muffin, ketchup or mustard, scrambled egg or sunny side up, Muenster or American. The debates are fierce.
No matter what, always ask for it to be extra crisp and don’t you dare say you don’t like it.