Thanks for this. I read it over my second cup of coffee, which took a lot longer than usual. She finds an awful lot to say 
I’ve never heard of this regional specialty but I’ve had tacos al vapor and I’ve steamed hot dog buns and stale bread, wrapped in a damp paper towel, in the micro. But never with the fillings already in place. Next time, though…
La Cumbre in the Mission steamed their burritos after assembly, usually 2 or 3 pumps on the handle.
I’d never seen that used with Mexican food before.
The steam made the tortilla tight around the fillings (grilled steak, rice, and whole beans) much like an egg roll.
I imagine they still do but I haven’t been there in years.
I have Parton’s Deli on my “Want to Go” list on Google Maps now. My favorite part was the crusty Delaware Prof who can’t seem to wrap his head around the beauty of regional differences in cuisine. And, yes, steamed hoagies are cuisine! LOL! But if I wanted lettuce and tomato, I might ask for them to be added after the steaming was done…
I like the signed photo from Dolly Parton in one of the photos of Parton’s Deli. She was from way down the Little Pigeon River, better part of 9 miles away as the crow flies.
Thank you for turning me onto this magazine @bbqboy . The writing is consistently good and interesting.
+1 to being a fan of The Bitter Southerner.
First ran across the site not because of food, but because I was hunting for information about our rescue mutt. She has certain behaviors that mystified us until we figured out that she’s probably a Carolina dog mix. Their article was like finding a secret decoder ring.
Articles about food were a bonus.
Wow - I made it through about half. Interesting, but more than I personally want to know.
And then there are the steamed cheeseburgers of Connecticut:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/steamed-cheeseburger/
