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The mound of thinly shaved steak sizzled invitingly as it hit the flattop grill. Jose Perez added sweet peppers, caramelized onions and four slices of American cheese, mixing the melty mess together before loading it onto a fresh Italian sub roll.

“We like to give you a good half-pound of meat on your sandwich,” he said. “We want to live up to the name Meat Truck.”

It’s a straightforward name for a straightforward menu: The Meat Truck is a carnivore’s dream, with specialties like pulled pork, burgers, steak sandwiches, ribs and chicken wings — “basically designed around everything I like to eat,” Perez said.

The New Haven native isn’t a classically trained chef, but his passion for food started early. “The only culinary school I went to was in front of my TV when I was a little kid, watching the Cooking Channel and Food Network, and watching my mother. I’ve always loved to [cook] and it’s always been my passion.”

A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Perez worked for Sherwin-Williams for 9 years before buying the used FedEx truck, rebuilding it with his father and designing its distinct porterhouse-shaped logo.

Perez launched The Meat Truck in the summer of 2014, first parking at a gas station on Route 80 in New Haven. The early months were a lot of trial and error, he said, and he quickly learned to streamline his menu and prepare appropriately for lunch crowds.

“I’d like to have 10 to 12 different sandwiches, but that’s just not feasible for me to do that,” he said, so each day he’ll offer four or five choices, like pulled pork on brioche with apple coleslaw and his own personal spin on a Cuban, with applewood bacon instead of ham, and a cilantro lime Dijon mayonnaise. A chimichurri steak sandwich, with flank steak, sundried tomato spread and chimichurri sauce on ciabatta, is another occasional star, and every once in a while he’ll bring out his barbecue spare ribs – his favorite thing to make.

Half-pound burgers are big sellers, topped with bacon and bleu cheese sauce or spicy jalapeno and sriracha. Truckgoers also love the handmade oversized empanadas, stuffed with beef picadillo or buffalo chicken. Menu sales depend on where the truck parks, Perez said.

On weekdays, he’s at Science Park, where diners love his Spanish rice and smoked chicken wings, and by the Apple store in the Broadway shopping district, “it’s empanadas all day.” Perez shops locally for his ingredients, buying breads from Apicella’s, Whole G and Chabaso bakeries in New Haven and Venice Bakery in Hamden and meats from Italian Importing on New Haven’s Grand Avenue.

On weekends, you’ll likely find the truck at Connecticut breweries, vending at Two Roads in Stratford, Firefly Hollow in Bristol, Black Hog in Oxford or Stony Creek in Branford. This particular market has been a boost for the truck, Perez said, and he often uses the featured brewery’s beer in his cooking that day.

Between regular weekday parking, catering and special events, Perez estimates he’s spending at least 10 hours a day on truck tasks, cleaning, restocking and “doing everything that encompasses making sure this runs well,” he said. He also spends plenty of time promoting the truck online, keeping followers updated on daily stops and menus. His cousin Chris Morales often helps him out, and keeps him centered even on the busiest days.

“I’m really big into my quality. I don’t want to cut corners. I’d rather throw a sandwich away,” he said. “It takes time to toast a Cuban. I don’t want to give someone a Cuban that has soggy bread because it defeats the whole purpose of that sandwich being fresh. Even when I try to rush sometimes, [Morales] tells me no, relax, it’s not going to look right.”

>>The Meat Truck parks weekdays at various spots in New Haven, often in front of the Apple store on Broadway or at Science Park, and at Connecticut breweries. Information: themeattruckco.com; @TheMeatTruckCo.

Look for a profile of a new food truck each week through summer in The Courant’s CTNow section, and follow the series, with photos and video, at courant.com/foodtrucks.