One of Philly’s best roast pork sandwiches just got even better

Cheesesteaks get all the ink these days, but one should not overlook Philly’s other white meat: the roast pork sandwich.

There are, of course, the long-established classics, such as John’s Roast Pork and DiNic’s. Chef Chad Durkin entered the porcine party around six years ago with Porco’s Porchetteria, a takeout window at 22nd and Washington in South Philadelphia.

The Inquirer’s Craig LaBan was among the early fans of Porco’s herb-scented, slow-roasted pork, which has two distinctive touches: house-baked ciabatta and “the shattering crunch of a sheet of crackling tucked inside.”

» READ MORE: Philly's best roast pork sandwiches

Early this year, Durkin noticed the revolution in artisan bread-baking, as folks like Nish Patel at Del Rossi’s and Danny DiGiampietro at Angelo’s have been elevating their cheesesteaks by focusing on the bread.

Durkin, himself a baker and pastry chef from way back (Le Bec-Fin, Susanna Foo, Carlo’s Bakery), thought that a new roll was in order. He reached out to Tim Ivory at the nearby Baker Street Bread Co. with a prototype. (Durkin said he doesn’t have the capacity to bake his own, as he would not only need to supply Porco’s but also his Breezy’s Deli & Market a block away.)

Last weekend, Durkin unveiled the Porco’s x Baker Street roll as an option. It’s a whole different sandwich, even though all the ingredients are the same, as is the price ($15 for the original, $1 extra for rapini spread and sharp Provolone). The cracklings, combined with the toasted sesame seeds, provide added crunch in every bite, and the roll stands up easily to the jus. (I left one sandwich on my counter for two hours, and it was not soggy in the least.)

“We needed to transition into something that’s a little more relative to what’s going on in the city,” Durkin said.

The ciabatta, which Durkin bakes — along with croissants and other sweet and savory items — is still available for the porchetta and other sandwiches. The new long rolls are also available for a new line of customizable egg sandwiches.

One other important note: Scott Sumsky, last at Lucky Well Incubator, is now on staff at Porco’s and makes a rotating line of sausages.