h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A Po' Boy sandwich is not necessarily one that contains meat. Often, they do not contain meat. More importantly, these sandwiches almost contain something deep-fried. One of the classic po' boys is made with mayonnaise, ketchup, and french fries on french bread. Other favorites have included fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried catfish, and fried crawfish.

True, they don't have to contain meat. Neither must they contain fried foods. One of the more popular po-boys is Roast Beef. Some places also offer a hamburger, ham and cheese or BLT, though these can also be considered subs. The po-boy must be:

1) On french bread. This is critical. Proper french bread has a thick, crunchy exterior. It flakes off when eaten. There are two accepted camps, the thin bread and the thick bread. Thin bread is usually between three and five inches across while thick bread is typically five to six inches across. The thicker bread (sometimes called Schwegmann style) tends to be quite pillowy inside and is most available at grocery stores. The thinner bread is used at the more traditional shops and tends to be much, much firmer and drier. The thinner bread is more suited to soggier fillings like roast beef or BBQ beef.
2) Overfilled, so as to make eating without getting the sandwich's contents on oneself nearly impossible.
3) Wrapped in paper, though some may accept paper-lined foil acceptable. Usually, the paper is two to four layers deep and sealed with masking tape.

Po-Boy shops tend to offer sandwiches either dressed or not. Most sandwiches have only a single ingredient. A dressed sandwich adds shredded lettuce, mayo and pickles. Most shops also offer lemon for fried seafood dishes. Some shops may offer other options, though these resturaunts are the exception. Sensible use of mayo is NOT acceptable.

Many po-boy shops outside of New Orleans are not familiar with the french fry po-boy. This is best made with steak fries, or some other hearty fry cut, placed directly on the bread. It should include a side of roast beef gravy, which should be poured liberally over the fries.