I just really love pork. Especially when it’s in a sandwich (or other bread-like containers—wontons, dumplings, burritos—but that’s for another time). Although at first, New Haven does not appear to be the best place for swinophiles, if you look hard enough, you’ll be sure to find some incredible sandwiches. I’ve now tried them all, so here’s my top five.

Didn’t quite make the cut: Cubano at Atticus (too salty), The New Englanda at Caseus (not porky enough), BLT at Book Trader (too much mayo), BLT at Clark’s dairy (bland),Grilled Proscuitto at Judie’s (too oily), pulled pork sandwich at Buffalo Wild Wings (tastes reheated and stale)

5. Cubano at Temple Grill ($9.50): Very classic Cuban sandwich scores for richness and its accompanying fries, but doesn’t have the brightness of flavor or textual contrast of some of those ranked higher.

4. Atticus Panino with Ham, Swiss & Mustard ($8.50): Always satisfies, and their focaccia adds nice volume and herbaceous flavor. The only drawback? Not enough pork.

3. The Pickled Pig at Nica’s ($6): Quite a different beast from the others on this list—in pairing deli porchetta with pickled eggplant, arugula, and balsamic vinegar, they go a subtle, acidic edge rather than sticking with all-out unctuousness. But the porkiness of the porchetta teams up with a light drizzle of olive oil to ensure this is no dainty sandwich. Also the cheapest sandwich on the list.

2. BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich at Prime 16 ($9.95): This behemoth—approximately the size of a frisbee—comes in as high as it does by just going all-out with the richness. They top a huge mound of pork with melted cheddar and sprinkling of fried shallots, making it the most delightfully gluttonous option here.

1. Croque-Monsieur at Union League ($9.75): Wow, wow, wow: this is true genius. Union League is normally known for its haute-cuisine (indeed represented here by a herbaceous side salad with mixed greens as glisteningly pristine as emeralds), but when it comes to the croque-monsieur, they out-glutton anyone else. Not only do they heap up a healthy portion of quality ham and comte inside the nice, crusty bread, they top the entire sandwich with another layer of melted comte cheese. It’s so luscious you have to eat it with a fork.

Worth a special mention: I happened to go my fave Judie’s on a day when they had a special sandwich with pulled pork, pickled red onions, and jalapenos. It was rich and spicy with nice textural contrast from its fresh baked roll: a revelation. But because it’s not on the normal menu, I did not consider it for ranking. Still, know that if you go to Judie’s and see that special, you should get it.

NB: It goes without saying New York has pork sandwiches far superior even to these six. The best is the Porchetta Sandwich at Porchetta in the East Village.