The Mississippi Sandwich That Earned Anthony Bourdain's Stamp Of Approval

When a sandwich hits all the right notes it can feel like a transcendent experience. It doesn't much matter if it's composed of a laundry list of pretentious ingredients or a handful of common ones. A sandwich's beauty is in the variety of textures and flavor combinations. This is a language that Anthony Bourdain spoke fluently. So, when he indicated that the absolute best sandwich in Mississippi might be found at a hole in the wall in Jackson, we were all ears.

During Season 3 Episode 6 of "Parts Unknown," Bourdain visited the Mississippi Delta, where he had the pleasure of eating at a civil-rights era historical landmark called the Big Apple Inn. (If you're asking for directions, you should know the locals call it "Big John's" after the late owner Juan Mora.) It's here that folks from all over the state flock to get their favorite pig ear sandwiches.

Hardly the most coveted part of the animal, pig ears are rather tough, and as such, have traditionally been known as peasant food. However, at the Big Apple Inn, a perfectly pressure-cooked slice of pig ear piled onto a lightly toasted bun with crunchy slaw, homemade hot sauce, and a smear of mustard makes what Bourdain described as "a dream sandwich." Though they don't require any seasoning during the cooking process, the ears themselves provide a sweet and fatty pork flavor similar to chewy bacon that checks all the boxes. After several consecutive bites, Bourdain described the sandwich as "hard to beat."

Pig ears may sound like an unlikely ingredient for a top-rated sandwich, but Juan Mora's ingenuity made it so. As Geno Lee, Mora's great-grandson and current owner of the Big Apple Inn, explains, the butcher offered them to him for free, as they would otherwise be thrown out. Unsure of how to use them, he tried every cooking method he had in his arsenal until finally deciding that boiling them for two days was the best option. The result is a texture that has been summarized as gelatinous with a whisper of snappy cartilage. Though some find it off-putting, Anthony Bourdain noted, "It's everything we love about pig — the texture, the mix of fatty and lean."

Passionate about food waste and sustainability in the restaurant world, Bourdain appreciated that the sandwich is made from a part of the pig that's not typically sought after. By using these ingredients, Mora and his family have been able to carry out their true mission: maintaining low prices that the community can afford. When the first Big Apple Inn opened in 1939, the "ears" (as they are affectionately called) sold for just a dime each. Today you can snag a pair of ears (that's really the only acceptable way to order them) for $5. It remains the Big Apple Inn's intention that no one leaves hungry.