Toastie Takeover: NZ’s best toasted sandwiches and how to make them at home

Pre-make some braised brisket infused with herbs and spices to create this sandwich, which is among the finalists in The Great NZ Toastie Takeover.

It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it – for the past 43 days, judges have been travelling the country searching for New Zealand’s best toasted sandwich.

There were 208 entries in The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, from Whangārei to Te Anau, making it the biggest year yet for the competition that began eight years ago.

To be eligible, entrants had to adhere to a few rules: their sandwiches had to include a toasted top and bottom dough-based ingredient and be cooked or grilled, heated in presses, panini makers or toasted sandwich machines. They must also include McLure’s Pickles and cheese as a part of the sandwich filling, should be hot or warm when served, and able to be eaten using the hands from start to finish.

Thirteen finalists have been chosen and you can order their sandwiches from their menus until August 20, when the supreme winner will be revealed. This year’s finalists are:

• The Dipper – Longroom, Auckland
• McChickle & Bacon – Toast on the Green, Auckland
• Hogget Stuck in Spelt – Lime Cafe, Rotorua
• Braised Birria Brotha – Capers Cafe + Store, Rotorua
• Pulled in the Paddock – Jimmy Coops, Taupō
• Prawn Toastie – Madame Social, Napier
• The MacRib Toastie – Best Burgers, Havelock North
• Reuben’s Rudolph – The Offering, Greytown 
• Piggy Bank – The Offering at Moore Wilsons, Masterton
• The Marrakesh Melt – The Jellyfish, Māpua
• Smoked Wagyu Brisket Toastie – The Cafe at Christchurch Casino, Christchurch
• Ms Mac McClure – Johnny Crema, Queenstown
• This Pickle’s on Fire – All Good Bagels, Queenstown

If you can’t make it to all of the finalists’ cafes and restaurants, we’ve picked four recipes you can create at home to give you a taste of what’s on offer.

Recipes use McLure’s pickles – other brands are available.

Piggy Bank by The Offering at Moore Wilsons

Makes one

Gouda, provolone, or even a sharp blue can take things up a notch.

This sandwich features pulled pork and bacon, but the cheese and pickles are the stars of the show. Experiment with a mix: cheddar and mozzarella are a great combination, but gouda, provolone, or even a sharp blue can take things up a notch. You can also add smoked paprika, onion powder, dried parsley, or basil to your butter for extra flavour.

Ingredients:

2 slices of thick-cut sourdough/toastie bread

Butter

100g of pulled pork (warm or room temperature)

2 slices streaky bacon, cooked until crisp

9 slices of McClure’s Bread & Butter Pickles

20g kimchi (well drained, chopped if chunky)

4 thin slices of Granny Smith or Pink Lady apple

10g store-bought peri peri aioli

100g cheese, grated

Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat your toastie press.
2. Spread one side of each slice of bread with the butter.
3. On one slice, on the unbuttered side, layer half of the cheese. Add layers of crisp bacon, pickles, kimchi, peri peri aioli, sliced apple and pulled pork.
4. Top your filling with remaining cheese, then add the second slice of bread (buttered side facing out).
5. Place in the toastie press (or a pan over medium heat). Cook for 4–5 minutes, until golden brown, crisp and the cheese is melted throughout.
6. Take out of the press, lightly brush the outside with a touch more butter, then dust with grated parmesan for a golden finish.

Braised Birria Brotha by Capers Cafe + Store

Meat makes 12 servings; sandwich makes one

This sandwich is perfect for a winter lunch for a crowd.

Pre-make a big piece of braised brisket infused with herbs and spices to create this rich, delicious sandwich. The meat can then be used to make 12 sandwiches, perfect for a winter lunch for a crowd, or a handheld dinner in front of the rugby.

Ingredients for braised brisket:

2kg boneless beef brisket, point end

186g La Morena chipotle adobo sauce

3.5L of beef stock

1 medium brown onion

2 Tbsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp cumin seeds

2 Tbsp coriander seeds

¼ cup lemon juice

6 cloves garlic

30g of salt – 15g for step 5

30g of pepper – 15g for step 5

225g tomato paste

40g onion powder

40g garlic powder

110g brown sugar

30g paprika

5 bay leaves

4 cinnamon quills

40g peppercorns

Method:

1. Turn the oven on to 160C.
2. Trim excess fat from the meat and cut into 6-8 pieces, cutting against the grain of the brisket.
3. Combine chipotle sauce and 500ml of beef stock in a large pot. Bring to the boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, to create a “chipotle burn”.
4. Peel a brown onion and slice in half. Place onion halves in a hot pan, cut sides down, and char.
5. Season brisket with 15g salt and 15g pepper.
6. Toast cumin and coriander seeds in a pan.
7. Strain your chipotle burn, then blend with onion, seeds, lemon juice and garlic, using a stick blender.
8. Place brisket in a deep oven dish.
9. Rub brisket with tomato paste, onion and garlic powders, brown sugar, paprika and salt.
10. Strain chipotle burn mix and pour over brisket.
11. Add bay leaves, cinnamon quills and peppercorns to the dish.
12. Add remaining 3L of beef stock. 
13. Cover with tinfoil and braise for 2.5 hours on a gentle simmer.
14. Check liquid after 2.5 hours, refill with a 1L of water and cook for 1 hour.
15. Remove brisket from braising liquid and sieve to remove any remaining whole ingredients. Shred or pull apart the pieces of meat with two forks.
16. Add lemon juice to the braising liquid and season with salt and pepper to create a consomme dipping sauce.

Jesse Stewart from Capers Cafe + Store in Rotorua with the toastie that has made it ono the list of finalists in the Great Toastie Takeover.

Ingredients for toastie:

1 Pandoro tomato panini

20g Parmesan cheese

30g mozzarella cheese

10g red onion, sliced

10g coriander, chopped

20g garlic butter

10ml chilli oil

120g of prepared beef brisket

8-10 McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles

Method:

1. Preheat your toastie press.
2. Cut panini in half lengthwise.
3. Butter base and top of bread with garlic butter.
4. Layer bottom portion with half of the parmesan and mozzarella.
5. Add brisket, red onion, coriander and pickles. Top with remaining cheese.
6. Put panini top on and brush with chilli oil.
7. Toast in panini press until cheese is melted.
8. Served cut in half, with warmed consomme dipping sauce on the side.

Miss Mac McClure by Johnny Crema

Makes one

A hearty sandwich that is a meal in itself.

Mac ‘n’ cheese meets classic toasted sandwich ingredients in this mash-up created by Johnny Crema’s Queenstown food truck. It makes for a hearty sandwich that is a meal in itself, heavy on the carbs and lots of flavour.

Ingredients:

2 slices of white loaf (Queenstown’s European Bakery is recommended)

¼ cup dry macaroni

¼ cup McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, roughly chopped

¼ cup cooked bacon, chopped (plus extra for the crown)

Small handful grated cheese (plus extra for topping)

⅛ cup reserved pasta water

⅛ cup McClure’s pickle juice

¼ tsp chilli flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup Tatua cheese sauce

2 whole McClure’s spicy pickles

Instructions:

1. Preheat toastie press.
2. Boil your macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving ⅛ cup of pasta water. Let the pasta cool slightly.
3. Mix the macaroni, chopped pickles, chopped bacon, grated cheese, pasta water, pickle juice and chilli flakes together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add enough cheese sauce to coat everything evenly.
5. Slather cheese sauce on each slice of bread, then pile on the macaroni mixture.
6. Slice the whole pickles and add a layer, then add bacon and extra grated cheese.
7. Toast in a sandwich press or pan until golden on both sides and cheese is melted.
8. Slice your sandwich in half (triangles, of course) and press the melty edges into the reserved chopped crispy bacon.

This Pickle’s On Fire by All Good Bagels

Meat makes four servings; sandwich makes one

Try this fried-chicken toastie from All Good Bagels.

Start a day before with this fried-chicken toastie to ensure a great brine on the chicken. When it comes to frying it, either use a small deep-fat fryer or an air fryer set to 180C. Assemble all of the other delicious ingredients while the chicken is hot.

Ingredients for fried chicken:

500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Half a jar of strained McClure’s pickle juice

1L oil for frying

1 cup cornflour

1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken thighs in the pickle juice in a large container for 24 hours.
2. Heat oil in a large pot.
3. While the oil is heating, mix the cornflour, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Drain the chicken and coat in the cornflour mixture, making sure each piece is well coated.
5. Make sure the oil is at 180C. Deep fry the chicken for 6-7 mins. The internal temperature of the chicken must reach 75C to be sure it’s cooked.

Ingredients for toastie:

1 bagel

Butter

100g of prepared fried chicken

½ stalk of spring onion

50g cream cheese

Pink peppercorns

Smoked Gouda cheese

½ jar McClure’s pickles

Hot honey

Method:

1. Preheat your grill or toastie press.
2. Grate smoked Gouda, then grind pink pepper over the cheese and give it a good mix.
3. Chop the spring onion super fine and mix with the cream cheese.
4. Slice the bagel in half, butter both slices and toast.
5. Give both bagel halves a heavy schmear of the scallion cream cheese.
6. Chop the fried chicken and put on top.
7. Place the pink pepper-corn smoked Gouda on top.
8. Add a layer of pickles and drizzle honey over everything.
9. Put the whole thing under a grill or in a toasted sandwich maker until warm and melted.