It WOULD have been worth the effort if he had made a proper Monte Cristo sandwich that is DEEP FRIED. But instead we get this lazy variation that isn’t much more than a normal deli sandwich with powdered sugar pretending it’s the sandwich people think of when they hear “Monte Cristo”… …especially when the entire bit is about the sandwich being “so greasy” that it could free someone from their restraints. Yet they do this embarrassing and lazy take on a monte Cristo instead of battering and deep frying it, and giving it that excess grease before letting it rest and then cutting it into those small crustless triangles with a toothpick in them. The worst part is Babish often does multiple versions of recipes for his main series videos… yet here not only does he only do one type, but it’s not even the proper greasy/popular one…
One time, when all of my buddies went out to eat one of my friends ordered one of these sandwiches, after it got to the table he took a few bites but didn't say much, few minutes past and hes examining one of the pieces of sandwich to which he then say out loud to the table; "I think they put flour on this instead of sugar" all of us busted out laughing in confusion and all had to try it ourselves to confirm, we did get a new one made too!
Okay, hear me out. Monte Cubano. Mojo roast pork + turkey or ham. Mustard and mayo. Quince paste (membrillo) with maybe some red currant mixed in to add a little extra tartness. Pressed on medianoche bread. Powdered sugar optional.
There used to be a restaurant around here called Solley's that had a different take on a Monte Cristo: Three slices of bread. Layers of ham, turkey, bacon, and Swiss cheese. Cut diagonally, battered, and deep fried. Served with sour cream and strawberry jam. They were absorbed by Jerry's Deli who kept making the sandwich for a while, but they eventually discontinued it. I miss that calorie bomb.
Fun fact: the Monte Cristo was originally invented at Disneyland and the original iteration was submerged in batter and deep fried. The original sandwich was also inspired by the French croque monsieur
Every monte cristo i've had has been the battered + deep fried version I didn't know there was a different (arguably lamer) take. The deep fried sandwich is way better imo.
As a very frequent jam-maker/canner, there's an obvious answer to the raspberry problem - raspberry hot pepper jam! You have a spicy jam that can be used for torturing hostages, AND a delicious sweet/savoury condiment for a ham sandwich!
I remember as a kid one of our favorite "day off from school" lunches was an egg dipped sandwich kind of like a monte cristo but no powdered sugar and filled with ham, american cheese, and pizza sauce. The cookbook we got it from claimed it was called a "roman sandwich." Still not fully sold on the sweet-savory thing monte cristos have going on, but french toast as the bread is legit.
Strangely, I had a Monte Cristo last night. Got it from a restaurant in Springfield, VA. They had the turkey/ham combo with Goat Cheese!!! I never thought to add Goat cheese (mostly because I don't like it), but on this sandwich, it was excellent. I ate it with Strawberry preserves instead of raspberry. That gave it a way better taste.
I know the pâté en croûte wasn't worth the effort for you, still I've got to say: as someone who comes from a family of butchers (and who made that kind of pâtés several times in my life), yours looks INSANELY BEAUTIFUL
I tried a bite of a monte cristo that my brother ordered one time when we went out to eat. And I thought I was gonna hate it because the contrasting flavors, but I was surprised when it actually worked.
There's a local joint near me that makes a monte cristo but skips the mayo, mustard AND jam and instead serves it with maple syrup to dip in. It works surprisingly well and was actually my introduction to the sandwich and is still my favorite iteration of it.
Those were some amazing interpretations of the Monte Cristo, Andy. While the second thing that I am not even going to attempt to spell was certainly impressive for the amount of effort it took, that turkey burger was definitely the winner. It all also makes me want to look up your classic Croque Madame you made oh so long ago. Speaking of... Could you please do your own take on the Fiesta Burrito with Chili and Eggs that Dan Aykroyd makes for Robert Stack in the food truck scene from Caddyshack 2?
The video says sourdough, though the website says rye... I went with sourdough since thick sliced rye seems to be pretty hard to find in standard US supermarkets.
Personally I prefer Cheddar's restaurant 's take on this sandwich. They take a bunch of sliced ham turkey Swiss and monzerella cheeses made a stack by alternating layers. Batter dip and then quickly deep fry the entire thing. Sprinkle powdered sugar in top and serve it with raspberry preserve dipping sauce.
@@kevincgrabb I mostly know it from people talking about Disney ones where they have jam on the side for dipping and have it covered in powdered sugar.
From just reading the comments it's clear Monte Cristos are made in different ways across the U.S (I'm sure it's different in other countries as well) I've seen two versions the one with jam in sandwich form made here and one that's open-faced without.
I had never heard of it before. Looked it up, and it's a US-invented thing based on a French grilled cheese sandwich. Generally, neither jam nor sugar is used though.
I’ve never heard of it either. I hadn’t seen this Family Guy episode, but the Fairy Godmother in Shrek is really into monte christos. It certainly explains the references: I thought she was a heavy cigar smoker!
The versions I've had omitted the jam and mustard but added thousand island dressing. They also were pan fried (not deep fried) and dusted with powdered sugar.
My dad loved monte cristo sandos on special occasions. When he passed, we planned a monte cristo day for dad, summoning everyone to the house to make them and share them in his honor.
Please do Andy’s Mouth Surprise (skittle sandwich) from Parks and Recreation. It’d be great to see a Babish gourmet version of a starburst and a skittle.
There used to be a kitchen nightmares eposode on youtube where Gordon Ramsay and the mean girl editors mocked a restaurant for being insane enough to put powdered sugar on a montecristo. They seem to have removed that embarrassment now, but the restaurant owners were still humiliated on tv
So what actually is a Monte Cristo? There are three very different recipes here and none of them match the Monte Cristo I used to get from my local cafe (made with french toast, ham, turkey, cheeses, and not jam or sugar).
Battered and deep fried is how I fell in love with it. That's how Bennigans did it where I first had it. I had a craving for one of those for over a year where I couldn't get one. That was hard.
I'd only ever had a monte cristo at Cheddar's, to the point where I didn't think it existed anywhere else lol. I was wondering where the batter and deep fry was going to come in haha
A local restaurants take on this is to make it a double decker, batter then deep fry and preserves for dipping. its literally the best cristo iteration you can get.
You never fail to impress me with cooking techniques I've never heard of! I'm going to repeat what I think I've said before, which is I think it would be fun to watch you do potatoes and molasses from Over the Garden Wall :3
Cheddar's makes a great Monte Cristo. It is fully deep fried. It is definitely an indulgent sandwich and a once a year type of meal for say a special occasion but oh my gosh is it amazing
First time I had one of these it was jacked up with strawberry habanero jam, homemade challah French toast, a solid Dijon mustard, and scrambled eggs. It was basically among the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. Assumed that's what a Monte Cristo was. Awhile later, I go to a different place and order the same thing and get the most disappointing but apparently totally normal Monte Cristo.
Anybody else really wanna see Babish cover a recipe from a Henry Cavill movie just to have an excuse to see Babish and Cavill in the same room? I feel like Andrew's Stoic Chaos and Cavill's nerdy charm would be such an incredible on screen combination.
Am I the only one surprised by the turkey? I've only ever had a Monte Cristo with ham and delicious cheese. Best with a lower sugar raspberry preserve. Yum.
We have a Monte Cristo where i work, and we all think of it the same way "it's delicious, until you remember you're eating a deep fried ham, turkey, and cheese sandwich"
How about making apple blood from The Owl House? Disney won't say outright that it's alcoholic, but everyone knows that it is. It'd be cool to make a hard apple cider homebrew.😊
Okay I normally enjoy your show but I feel like this episode was kind of a miss for me. The sandwich is just a regular Monty Cristo in the show, not really episode worthy, and the second dish you made wasn't even close enough to the actual sandwich to where I could honestly compare the 2.
I used to work at a restaurant that did weekend brunch specials. One of which was a deep fried Monte Cristo. I'd occasionally splurge and get that as my shift meal.
I appreciate the dive into the insanely overdone version and then admitting "that was definitely not worth the effort"
Story of my life
Yup. I was getting mad at the Hon-Hon stuff.
"I'm not investing 3 1/2 days for that!"
And then landing on a modified patty melt. Sometimes simple done right is better than complicated, even done right.
@Erik Frankfurt thank you for making me Google "Hon-Hon"
It WOULD have been worth the effort if he had made a proper Monte Cristo sandwich that is DEEP FRIED.
But instead we get this lazy variation that isn’t much more than a normal deli sandwich with powdered sugar pretending it’s the sandwich people think of when they hear “Monte Cristo”…
…especially when the entire bit is about the sandwich being “so greasy” that it could free someone from their restraints. Yet they do this embarrassing and lazy take on a monte Cristo instead of battering and deep frying it, and giving it that excess grease before letting it rest and then cutting it into those small crustless triangles with a toothpick in them.
The worst part is Babish often does multiple versions of recipes for his main series videos… yet here not only does he only do one type, but it’s not even the proper greasy/popular one…
One time, when all of my buddies went out to eat one of my friends ordered one of these sandwiches, after it got to the table he took a few bites but didn't say much, few minutes past and hes examining one of the pieces of sandwich to which he then say out loud to the table; "I think they put flour on this instead of sugar" all of us busted out laughing in confusion and all had to try it ourselves to confirm, we did get a new one made too!
This is the best story I've read on a babish video.
🤣
incredible. well told as well.
This just reads like every Boomer waxing poetic about some dumb garbage. Thank you.
@@Micsmayou speaking from experience?
Okay, hear me out. Monte Cubano. Mojo roast pork + turkey or ham. Mustard and mayo. Quince paste (membrillo) with maybe some red currant mixed in to add a little extra tartness. Pressed on medianoche bread. Powdered sugar optional.
Dope!
thats what i thought he was gonna do
That. Sounds. AWESOME! I'm gonna try it!
this would be a work of art.
How do I save this comment for later? :D
Monte Christo is like the Jurassic park of sandwiches. They were too busy trying to see if the could, they never stopped to ask if they should.
Underrated comment
I do scoff at the idea of eating a sandwich with mayo and jam. Those are just two worlds not meant to coexist.
@@destroyerblackdragonAs horrid as it is, mayo really isn't that far off from custard
There used to be a restaurant around here called Solley's that had a different take on a Monte Cristo: Three slices of bread. Layers of ham, turkey, bacon, and Swiss cheese. Cut diagonally, battered, and deep fried. Served with sour cream and strawberry jam. They were absorbed by Jerry's Deli who kept making the sandwich for a while, but they eventually discontinued it. I miss that calorie bomb.
Ask for it worst they can say is no
Pp😊
just came reading this comment
Sounds like a Monte club.
Fun fact: the Monte Cristo was originally invented at Disneyland and the original iteration was submerged in batter and deep fried. The original sandwich was also inspired by the French croque monsieur
That's the only varient I knew about. I didnt know they made these that weren't submerged in batter
Huh, I always loved the Disneyland version - it's my go-to meal there - but I never knew it was INVENTED there
Inspired by French croque monsieur? Is that why its an Italian name?
Every monte cristo i've had has been the battered + deep fried version I didn't know there was a different (arguably lamer) take. The deep fried sandwich is way better imo.
@@nathanross7448 Fun fact, Doritos were also invented at Disneyland.
All of the best Monte Cristos I've ever had were fully battered and deep fried. Yum.
I've never had a Monte Cristo that wasn't deep fried. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a non-deep-fried Monte Cristo.
@@stephencagle8233ight!! It’s just a grilled turkey/ham sandwich at that point
i thought that was missing too, isn't this more of a sweet croque monsieur/madame hybrid? so like, a croque modern tumblr user?
Absolutely right. If I wanted a French toast sandwich I'd make one. But I want a Monte Cristo!
I was under the impression that they are supposed to be deep fried.
There's just something about a classic Babish video done by Babish along with the music that's just indescribable but brings my so much joy
Absolutely cosigned. This was a nice little dopamine hit.
I miss the jazzy Jingle
As a very frequent jam-maker/canner, there's an obvious answer to the raspberry problem - raspberry hot pepper jam! You have a spicy jam that can be used for torturing hostages, AND a delicious sweet/savoury condiment for a ham sandwich!
Fruit Preserves or jam go so well with this. It's almost a miracle of flavors combining.
I like it better with just powdered sugar. A subtle blend between sweet and savory. 😋
You would like apple brie grilled cheese
I like mine with maple syrup. Ofc, I am Canadian...
@@wesleythomas7125 maple syrup in addition to powdered sugar and jam/preserves, or in place of one/both?
Honestly, this sandwich reminds me of turkey day leftovers.
Turning relatively simple sandwich into 4-days-to-make meat pie. Well, that escalated quickly.
The Monte Cristo is a simple sandwich?
@@dirrdevil Relatively.
I looked away for a minute so I could plate up lunch and looked back to....that. 🤣
8:19 this was a fantastic flip and I don't want you to think it went unnoticed
I remember as a kid one of our favorite "day off from school" lunches was an egg dipped sandwich kind of like a monte cristo but no powdered sugar and filled with ham, american cheese, and pizza sauce. The cookbook we got it from claimed it was called a "roman sandwich." Still not fully sold on the sweet-savory thing monte cristos have going on, but french toast as the bread is legit.
Strangely, I had a Monte Cristo last night. Got it from a restaurant in Springfield, VA. They had the turkey/ham combo with Goat Cheese!!! I never thought to add Goat cheese (mostly because I don't like it), but on this sandwich, it was excellent. I ate it with Strawberry preserves instead of raspberry. That gave it a way better taste.
2:06 I misheard “fatty pork shoulder” as “Babbi Pork Shoulder” and thought for a second that the BCU had branched out into pig farming and butchery
My brain would imagine: "He's so dedicated he butchered his own arm"
I know the pâté en croûte wasn't worth the effort for you, still I've got to say: as someone who comes from a family of butchers (and who made that kind of pâtés several times in my life), yours looks INSANELY BEAUTIFUL
I love the videos with just Babish. It's classic Binging 😊
Classic Bishing with Babinge!
@@asdfuogh It's... the monte cristo, sausage!
Everytime we go to a restaurant my son orders this but in Canada we use cranberry sauce instead of raspberry jam adds a nice tartness it needs!
Honestly, raspberry jam is tart enough, but homemade cranberry sauce makes way more sense in a Monte cristo
What if you go to a McDonald’s?
@@TheDarkPacific Now I'm imagining a Thanksgiving Monte Cristo
@@rowandoyle7 I make them every year with the leftovers!
Is your raspberry jam not tart? At least where I live, it's usually mouth puckerly tart. Raspberry jelly tends to be really sweet though.
I tried a bite of a monte cristo that my brother ordered one time when we went out to eat. And I thought I was gonna hate it because the contrasting flavors, but I was surprised when it actually worked.
I love when Andy's in the kitchen this trip we have taken through the Monte Cristo was worth it
There's a local joint near me that makes a monte cristo but skips the mayo, mustard AND jam and instead serves it with maple syrup to dip in. It works surprisingly well and was actually my introduction to the sandwich and is still my favorite iteration of it.
that's the kind im familiar with!
Yeh, I only know those with maple, never jam/jelly of any kind.
The local crepe shop did a monte cristo crepe, and it was with maple syrup
That was a gorgeous hot water crust pastry. Very photogenic.
I love how Babish constantly keeps the human fingers joke from Peep Show alive. Much respect.
At the 5:12 mark, I forgot what Babish was making and trying to figure out why there pastry in the sandwich
Iberico ham slices wrapped around smoked turkey bits might have been the elevation we crazies who love Monte Cristos would hope for.
I enjoyed the shoulder shrug of defeat when you realized all your hard work led to just an OK result and not some incredible creation.
I look away for two seconds, and all of a sudden you’re filling a pie crust w/ pâté and making a cheese foam.
I can't describe how soothing to my weary soul this episode is.
Those were some amazing interpretations of the Monte Cristo, Andy. While the second thing that I am not even going to attempt to spell was certainly impressive for the amount of effort it took, that turkey burger was definitely the winner. It all also makes me want to look up your classic Croque Madame you made oh so long ago. Speaking of...
Could you please do your own take on the Fiesta Burrito with Chili and Eggs that Dan Aykroyd makes for Robert Stack in the food truck scene from Caddyshack 2?
I had my first Monte Cristo the other day and i was so pleasantly surprised with how great it was.
The video says sourdough, though the website says rye... I went with sourdough since thick sliced rye seems to be pretty hard to find in standard US supermarkets.
If you take random ingredients and put em in a sandwich, you get a Monte Carlo instead.
Please do the Gummy Breakfast Burrito from Brooklyn Nine Nine! I’d love to see what a Babish gourmet version of candy looks like.
"The Monte Melt" is such a snappy title for a sandwich
You can tell Babish really tried his best to like this sandwich.
i think you put a ReasonAble amount of Effort into this Video
Personally I prefer Cheddar's restaurant 's take on this sandwich. They take a bunch of sliced ham turkey Swiss and monzerella cheeses made a stack by alternating layers. Batter dip and then quickly deep fry the entire thing. Sprinkle powdered sugar in top and serve it with raspberry preserve dipping sauce.
I also prefer this version too, I was waiting for someone to mention Cheddar's Monte Cristo 😋
9:02 can we appreciate the grease stain the sandwich left on the counter? Really hits on the accuracy to the show.
Monte Cristo's are my absolute favorite sandwich. A restaurant where I live does a deep fried version because, why not.
Disneyland does that as well
My absolute fav Monte is at Cheddars, where they deep fry the thing so it's a sweet savory mix of a ham sandwich and jelly doughnut
Bennigan's had the best Monte Cristo - you should recreate that one as part of your efforts
A sandwich so strong it makes an entire bed cover moist and short circuits people
I'd love to see you do a deep fried version which is the only one I'd heard of before.
Yeah, and I've never heard of jam or powdered sugar either. I prefer it savoury, not desserty.
@@kevincgrabb I mostly know it from people talking about Disney ones where they have jam on the side for dipping and have it covered in powdered sugar.
@@sethzard what is a Disney one? From a movie?
@@sethzard me too, better battered and fried. More exciting
Yeah, my idea of a Monte Cristo is battered, fried, AND served with sugar + jam.
But that's probably because I was raised in the South.
But what about Bennigan’s?!?!???
The Monte Cristo was the only redeeming quality of that long lost pseudo-Irish chain.
The babish we miss is back
The best sandwich with the best music. Unna by Broke for Free. Video description is incorrect.
I will happily proclaim that the Monte Cristo is the best sandwich on the planet
That Monte Melt looks awesome!!
The back half of this video definitely went places, so much effort and so far from the original concept haha
I've had a Monte Cristo that was covered in batter and deep fried. Chefs kiss, amazing
This feels like it went off the rails immediately, and I didn't hate it haha
Monte Cristo again? Yes please
it looks so delicious
considering what it did in that scene i’m afraid to eat it now💀
From just reading the comments it's clear Monte Cristos are made in different ways across the U.S (I'm sure it's different in other countries as well) I've seen two versions the one with jam in sandwich form made here and one that's open-faced without.
I had never heard of it before. Looked it up, and it's a US-invented thing based on a French grilled cheese sandwich. Generally, neither jam nor sugar is used though.
I’ve never heard of it either. I hadn’t seen this Family Guy episode, but the Fairy Godmother in Shrek is really into monte christos. It certainly explains the references: I thought she was a heavy cigar smoker!
On the West Coast at least, it is ALWAYS deep fried. Which they reference in American Dad with the grease in the clip.
I love fun chef channels out there like yours. I'm totally trying this one.
This may be the first time I became intrigued by both the original recipe and the “Babish” recipe 🤤🤤🤤
You pick American Dad frequently because that reveals your true kind spirit. Forever loved dude, you are the man
The versions I've had omitted the jam and mustard but added thousand island dressing. They also were pan fried (not deep fried) and dusted with powdered sugar.
Really went off the rails with that strange baked thing. But that melt at the end looked delicious.
Nice. Used to get a Monte Cristo from Bennigan's that was battered and deep fried. Could you consider making it that way?
Same. Miss that sandwich. My heart probably doesn't.
My dad loved monte cristo sandos on special occasions. When he passed, we planned a monte cristo day for dad, summoning everyone to the house to make them and share them in his honor.
Babish culinary Never fails to impress😮
The battered & deep fried are the best, would have loved to see a verison like that.
Please do Andy’s Mouth Surprise (skittle sandwich) from Parks and Recreation. It’d be great to see a Babish gourmet version of a starburst and a skittle.
I Love that you got back tot eh old format of show accurate version then try to improve.
I would seriously watch a 2 hr video of Babish making his own bread, jam, butter and, mayo from scratch and, redoing the Monte Cristo.
Tempura battered Monte Cristo, fried in peanut oil, dusted with powdered sugar, of course. I omit the mayo and add sharp cheddar.
Or you could just deep fry it like they did at Bennigan's, Cheddar's, and some other restaurants.
There used to be a kitchen nightmares eposode on youtube where Gordon Ramsay and the mean girl editors mocked a restaurant for being insane enough to put powdered sugar on a montecristo. They seem to have removed that embarrassment now, but the restaurant owners were still humiliated on tv
So what actually is a Monte Cristo? There are three very different recipes here and none of them match the Monte Cristo I used to get from my local cafe (made with french toast, ham, turkey, cheeses, and not jam or sugar).
I love the American Dad episodes! I've been dying for Babish to tackle the Hazlenut Omelette with surprise veal (for thickening).
Another monumental achievement for the Babish family. Keep on inspiring cooks of all levels Andrew!! Peace!!!
Battered and deep fried is how I fell in love with it. That's how Bennigans did it where I first had it. I had a craving for one of those for over a year where I couldn't get one. That was hard.
Thanks, Andrew. These are fun and vicarious. I love that you don’t hold back, and that you do what I never could.
The Monte Cristo is one of my favorites, but without the powdered sugar.
I'd only ever had a monte cristo at Cheddar's, to the point where I didn't think it existed anywhere else lol. I was wondering where the batter and deep fry was going to come in haha
Same
A local restaurants take on this is to make it a double decker, batter then deep fry and preserves for dipping. its literally the best cristo iteration you can get.
1:58 that’s dandruff you ain’t fooling anyone
Love when babish actually does the video
Love everyone else in the “BCU” but he’s the best
Would be nice if you made an episode making "Feijoada", brazilian national dish.
The best preparation I've found is to batter and fry the cheese and meat, and serve with raspberry preserves
You never fail to impress me with cooking techniques I've never heard of! I'm going to repeat what I think I've said before, which is I think it would be fun to watch you do potatoes and molasses from Over the Garden Wall :3
Cheddar's makes a great Monte Cristo. It is fully deep fried. It is definitely an indulgent sandwich and a once a year type of meal for say a special occasion but oh my gosh is it amazing
4:00 that’s just my Tinder bio
First time I had one of these it was jacked up with strawberry habanero jam, homemade challah French toast, a solid Dijon mustard, and scrambled eggs. It was basically among the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. Assumed that's what a Monte Cristo was. Awhile later, I go to a different place and order the same thing and get the most disappointing but apparently totally normal Monte Cristo.
Missed opportunity with the pate en croute version: triple dredge slices in panko and deep fry. Top with Gruyère foam and remaining raspberry aspic.
Have Alvin do Pizza Fave from Pizza Tower next.
My first Monte Cristo I had at a Bennigans when I was a kid and it was the most magical thing I had ever eaten up to that point.
Anybody else really wanna see Babish cover a recipe from a Henry Cavill movie just to have an excuse to see Babish and Cavill in the same room? I feel like Andrew's Stoic Chaos and Cavill's nerdy charm would be such an incredible on screen combination.
moral of the video: you can't improve upon perfection. The monte cristo is perfect in every way.
Am I the only one surprised by the turkey? I've only ever had a Monte Cristo with ham and delicious cheese. Best with a lower sugar raspberry preserve. Yum.
best monte cristo's use challah French toast
I'm not generally opposed to the sweet and savory combination, but this particular one sounds unappetizing.
We have a Monte Cristo where i work, and we all think of it the same way "it's delicious, until you remember you're eating a deep fried ham, turkey, and cheese sandwich"
How about making apple blood from The Owl House? Disney won't say outright that it's alcoholic, but everyone knows that it is. It'd be cool to make a hard apple cider homebrew.😊
Saved for the patty melt version at the end.
Okay I normally enjoy your show but I feel like this episode was kind of a miss for me. The sandwich is just a regular Monty Cristo in the show, not really episode worthy, and the second dish you made wasn't even close enough to the actual sandwich to where I could honestly compare the 2.
I used to work at a restaurant that did weekend brunch specials. One of which was a deep fried Monte Cristo. I'd occasionally splurge and get that as my shift meal.
I will never understand the appeal of this sandwich
The second attempt was the exact situation for which the phrase, "Now, you're just showing off," was intended.