[REVIEW] Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich

by **The Happiness Engine** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:36 am

So, with all the love for Italian Beef I thought of you guys when I ran across the Gym Shoe. What is it?

Part Italian beef, part gyro, with slices of corned beef folded in just for the hell of it

by **Tdarcos** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:26 pm

AArdvark wrote:

MMMmmm, turkey sandwiches!

1. Not neat and clean, asshole.
2. Fake Aardvark post, did not include a reference trailer, something like

THE
89 OCTANE SANDWICH
AARDVARK

by **AArdvark** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:00 am

MMMmmm, turkey sandwiches!

by **Tdarcos** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:58 pm

AArdvark wrote:Don't you also purchase cheesecake from a gas station? Why do you do your food shopping at gas stations?

For the same reason Willie Horton allegedly robbed banks, "because that's where the money is." Well, I mean, they sell sandwiches made to order, the place is as neat and clean as any food vendor in a typical food court, and the sandwiches taste good.

So why buy food at a gas station? It's there, it's clean, and it tastes good. As good a reason for buying anything anywhere, as I see it.

by **milker** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:03 pm

http://www.hark.com/clips/kfmbqlzdtc-ea ... as-station

Clark W. Griswold this thread YO!

by **AArdvark** » Fri May 25, 2012 1:09 pm

Don't you also purchase cheesecake from a gas station? Why do you do your food shopping at gas stations?

THE
SHOPPING CART
OIL CHANGE
AARDVARK

by **Tdarcos** » Fri May 25, 2012 7:08 am

My particular favorite beef sandwich (sub) is the chunky roast beef sandwich from the WAWA gasoline station chain out of Wawa, Pennsylvania. They don't always have it at the one in Beltsville, MD but when they do it is fantastic, it's just like I remember from years back.

It's chunk roast beef in gravy, and if you get the image of dog food, you'd be correct. But it is delicious. In fact, I have a story (shut up with the groans).

I would stop at the WAWA in Stafford, VA when I'd visit my girlfriend who lived out there. I'd pick up one of their chunky roast beef subs, and I'd take it home. I would sometimes call them (they needed two hours notice) if I wanted one of the two-foot-long subs.

Well, I told my sister about it so she asked me to bring one home sometime. So I did. She later told me that I could have the sandwich, she'd tried a bite and it tasted like dog food. Well, that's great; it means if I leave one of the sandwiches in the refrigerator nobody is going to touch it, and when I go to eat it, it's still there!

So, anyway, I lovingly refer to WAWA's chunky roast beef sub as "my dog food sandwich."

One thing I have found in other sandwiches I've had from them, such as a chicken cheesesteak I had yesterday, that one thing that is very tasty are pickles that have pepper on them. While I do like pickles a lot, I'm not much of a pepper fan, but pepper on pickles is very tasty.

by **Jizaboz** » Thu May 24, 2012 1:13 pm

I imported my girlfriend from Chicago, so I finally got to try food out there a few years ago.

Beef Sandwich:
Ate one from a place called Pepino's had plenty of that juicy stuff on it and some good cheese. She recommended I slather mayonaise on it. I think I ate on that thing 2 or 3 times before finishing. Very good. Pepino's closed a while back, but I hear another is opening or opened in Indiana.

Pizza:
I've been tempted to order a frozen pizza for around 30$ from Pizza Due. Pizza Due is basically Pizza Uno in a different building across the street from the original Pizza Uno in downtown Chicago. Only deep dish I had ever had before this was Pizza Hutt, so I was blown away. Very good sauce and VERY filling. Also, for non-deepdish I really liked a place called Stateline Pizza . It tasted home-made.

Hotdog:
Pano's in Calumet City near her mom's place... first Chicago style dog I ever tried and don't think I'll have another as good. The first time I went to this place, I tried a gyro for the first time per her request... I couldn't stomach it. Though it didn't give me gas as bad as trying White Castle for the first time.

by **pinback** » Thu May 17, 2012 9:24 pm

bruce wrote:
Flack wrote: Sam's Club (in Chicago) sells frozen Italian Beef. The Sam's Club here (in Oklahoma) does not. I do not know what the Mason/Dixon line for frozen Italian Beef is ... St. Louis, perhaps?
I'll find out if our Sam's does.

Bruce

I would say that if the goal is to reproduce the real thing, there's really no excuse for not just reproducing the real thing. I mean, essentially, you're throwing a pot of meat and broth and oregano in an oven for three hours, slicing it, putting it in a roll, and then dunking it in the pot. Time consuming, perhaps, but not very labor intensive.

I suppose we could argue about the authenticity of the rolls, but given that the entire thing is going to turn into a soggy wet nightmare within seconds, no sense picking nits.

by **Flack** » Thu May 17, 2012 8:07 pm

pinback wrote:Flack? That it, more or less? I feel like I nailed it.

Yeah, I think that's it. It's the most delicious meat ever, soaked in delicious juice, inside delicious bread which is also soaked in delicious juice, topped with peppers sitting on top a pile of meat and bread which have been soaked in delicious juice.

by **bruce** » Thu May 17, 2012 7:27 pm

[quote="Flack"
Sam's Club (in Chicago) sells frozen Italian Beef. The Sam's Club here (in Oklahoma) does not. I do not know what the Mason/Dixon line for frozen Italian Beef is ... St. Louis, perhaps?[/quote]

I'll find out if our Sam's does.

Bruce

by **pinback** » Thu May 17, 2012 5:17 pm

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I gotta ask somebody. What is IN the "italian beef"?!

For some reason Flack answered your question by telling you what's IN a "chicago dog".

I will now answer your actual question by telling you what's IN an "italian beef", or, simply, "beef":

You take a round roast. You roast it in a huge bath of beef broth, oregano and garlic, and perhaps a couple other spices of your choice, until it is tender through and through. Then you cool it.

Then -- follow me here -- you slice it paper thin.

Then you HEAT UP THAT BATH again, which is full of all the cooking juices and beefy goodness.

Then you take a bunch of that thin beef and heat it up by dunking it back in the bath for a minute.

Then you take an italian roll and stuff it full of the beef.

Then -- and I can't stress this enough -- you dunk the entire fucking thing back in the bath.

Then you top with a mixture of pickled peppers, or "giardinara".

Then you grab 182 napkins and attempt to eat it without ruining your entire wardrobe for the day.

Flack? That it, more or less? I feel like I nailed it.

by **Turing Test** » Thu May 17, 2012 3:17 pm

Tdarcos wrote:
Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I'm glad this place is just 12 idiots yelling at each other
Do you really think our combined intellectual capacity rises to the level of idiots? I think you overestimate all of us.

Speak for your own programming, watson. Fail.

by **Tdarcos** » Thu May 17, 2012 6:30 am

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I'm glad this place is just 12 idiots yelling at each other

Do you really think our combined intellectual capacity rises to the level of idiots? I think you overestimate all of us.

I'm glad you consider trusting the development of an on-line Hugo interpreter to a fellow idiot.

by **Flack** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:01 pm

Ah, I'm glad you liked it!

Chicago Dogs are like White Castles -- they're not great, but it's kind of tradition to have one.

Sonic Drive-Ins have added Chicago Dogs and they're pretty darn accurate, down to the slice of tomato and seeded bun. I'd rather have one in Chicago, sure, but when driving 800 miles for lunch is out of the question, it's not a bad substitute.

It's pretty hard to screw one up, so you can get one almost anywhere. One of the best ones I had was from a cart outside the Museum of Science and History. I had another great one from some fast food Mexican place called Taco Fresco downtown. We always hit Andy's too, but like I said, a dog's pretty much a dog, as long as it's beef.

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Wed May 16, 2012 8:52 pm

I gotta ask somebody. What is IN the "italian beef"?!

by **pinback** » Wed May 16, 2012 8:38 pm

We went to Portillo's today for a dog (Kathy) and another beef (me).

It was ridiculous. I wanted to polish off my beef with two more beefs.

I would like several beefs right now.

I don't see any reason to ever eat any other type of sandwich. Whenever I am served a sandwich from now on I will loudly complain "WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN DIPPED ENTIRELY INTO FATTY MEAT JUICE???"

by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Wed May 16, 2012 7:10 pm

It ate your post like I'm gonna eat that piz--

Flack, if you win that car, I will celebrate by getting one of those pizzas shipped (to me).

by **The Happiness Engine** » Wed May 16, 2012 5:03 pm

I'd suggest a chicago dog while you're there. The toppings combine to create a flavor that is unlike any other tube of emulsified meat.

Also phpBB does some FUCKING STUPID things if you dare mess about with the tags.

by **The Happiness Engine** » Wed May 16, 2012 5:00 pm

I'd suggest a http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2012/03/ ... hicago dog while you're there. The toppings combien to create a flavor that is unlike any other tube of emulsified meat.

[REVIEW] Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich

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