Italian beef facts for kids
An Italian beef sandwich
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| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Chicago, Illinois |
| Created by | Multiple claims |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Roast beef, Italian-style roll |
| Variations | Multiple |
An Italian beef is a yummy sandwich that first came from Chicago. It's made with thin slices of seasoned roast beef. The beef is cooked slowly and served in its own tasty juices, called "jus" (pronounced "joo"). All this deliciousness is piled onto a long French Roll.
This special sandwich has been around since at least the 1930s. You can choose to have the bread dipped in the meat's juices, making it extra flavorful. People often add Chicago-style giardiniera (a mix of pickled vegetables, called "hot") or cooked green sweet peppers (called "sweet").
You can find Italian beef sandwiches in many places. These include hot dog stands, pizza shops, and Italian-American restaurants. They are popular in northeastern Illinois, parts of Wisconsin (like Kenosha), and Northwest Indiana. Even people from Chicago who have moved away have opened restaurants serving Italian beef all over the United States.
Contents
How Is Italian Beef Made?
Italian beef starts with cuts of beef like sirloin. The meat is roasted slowly in a broth with garlic, oregano, and other spices. This slow cooking makes the beef super tender. It also creates a lot of the famous "jus" or gravy.
After roasting, the beef is cooled down. Then, it's sliced very thin using a special machine called a deli slicer. The thin slices are put back into the warm beef broth. They often sit there for hours, soaking up all the flavor.
Some bigger companies try to make Italian beef faster. They might cook the beef in special bags at lower temperatures. While this cooks the meat, it can change how much "jus" is made. Traditional Italian beef is known for being dipped in its own cooking juices. So, if less jus is made, the sandwich might not be as flavorful. Some companies add extra ingredients to try and make up for this.
The History of Italian Beef
No one knows the exact story of how Italian beef began. But many people think it was created by Italian immigrants in Chicago. This was in the early 1900s. These immigrants often worked at the old Union Stock Yards, where meat was processed.
They would bring home tougher cuts of beef that weren't as popular. To make the meat taste better, they slow-roasted it until it was tender. Then, they simmered it in a spicy broth for even more flavor. Both the roasting and the broth used Italian spices and herbs. The thinly sliced meat was then put into fresh Italian bread.
According to Scala's Original Beef and Sausage Company, this meal was first served at weddings and parties. The meat was sliced thin so there would be enough for everyone. It quickly became very popular. Soon, it was one of Chicago's most famous foods: the original Italian beef sandwich.
People like Pasquale Scala helped make the recipe well-known. A group of his friends started small beef stands in Chicago. They used similar recipes and helped perfect the Italian beef sandwich. Al Ferreri and his family opened Al's Beef in 1938. Later, Mr. Beef on Orleans was started by Carl Buonavolanto Jr. and Tony Ozzauto. Many other Italian beef shops opened in the 1940s.
Different Kinds of Italian Beef Sandwiches
You can order your Italian beef sandwich with different amounts of juice.
- Wet or dipped means the bread is quickly dunked in the juice.
- Juicy means it's even wetter.
- Soaked means it's dripping wet!
Most Chicago beef restaurants also offer a "combo" sandwich. This adds a grilled Italian sausage to your Italian beef. You can usually choose between hot or mild sausage.
Here are some common ways to order Italian beef:
- Hot dipped: Italian beef on gravy-wetted bread with giardiniera (the spicy pickled vegetables).
- Hot dipped combo: Italian beef and sausage on gravy-wetted bread with giardiniera.
- Sweet dry: Italian beef on dry bread, topped with sweet peppers.
- Gravy bread: This is just Italian bread soaked in the beef juice. It often comes with peppers or giardiniera. Some call it "Soakers" or "Juice-ons."
- Cheesy beef or cheef: Italian beef with cheese. This is usually Provolone or Mozzarella, and sometimes Cheddar. Not all places offer this.
- Cheesy beef on garlic: Italian beef with cheese, served on bread that's cooked and seasoned like garlic bread.
Some people even order a "triple double." This means double cheese, double sausage, and double beef! Other less common ideas include using a large croissant instead of Italian bread or adding marinara sauce.
Italian Beef in Movies and TV
The Italian beef sandwich has been shown in different TV shows.
- In 2008, the Travel Channel show Man v. Food visited Al's No. 1 Italian Beef in Chicago. The host, Adam Richman, tried the famous sandwich.
- In 2012, Al's Beef was also on Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America. Richman said the Italian beef sandwich was the best sandwich in the Midwest.
- The sandwich was also mentioned in a 1999 History Channel show called American Eats: History on a Bun. Chris Pacelli, who owns Al's No. 1 Italian Beef, showed how to eat the sandwich using the "Italian stance."
