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Boston Food Tour: Pizza & North End Italian Classics
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History
The Italian beef sandwich was invented in Chicago in the 1930s among Italian-American workers in the Taylor Street neighbourhood, who stretched cheap roast beef by slicing it paper-thin and serving it on jus-soaked bread. The Ferrari, Pacelli and Cingari families each claim a piece of the origin story. Al's Beef opened in 1938 on Taylor Street; Mr. Beef on Orleans, in River North, became the cabbie favourite a generation later. The 2022 FX series The Bear made the sandwich an international object, but inside the city it has always been a 4pm-after-work staple. Hot (with spicy giardiniera) or sweet (with bell peppers) is the first decision; dry, wet or dipped is the second.
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Charleston
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Key West
Guided tour · 3 hours
Key West: Cuban and Caribbean Food and Cultural Walking Tour
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Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1.4kg beef top sirloin or eye of round
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 litre good beef stock
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 long French rolls (Gonnella if you can find them)
- Giardiniera or sliced sweet peppers, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C (425F). Rub the beef with oil, salt and the dried spices. Roast 20 minutes on a rack, then drop the oven to 150C (300F) and roast a further 60 to 80 minutes, to 54C (130F) internal for medium-rare. Rest 30 minutes.
- While the beef rests, simmer the stock with the smashed garlic and another teaspoon each of oregano and basil for 20 minutes. Taste; it should taste seasoned and just-too-salty on its own.
- Slice the beef paper-thin against the grain (a deli slicer helps; a very sharp chef's knife works). Slide the slices into the warm jus and let sit 5 minutes off the heat.
- Split the rolls. Use tongs to pile thin beef into each roll, then dip the whole sandwich into the jus for one full second (the soak). Top with giardiniera (hot) or sweet peppers, eat immediately, leaning forward.
Tip from the editors. If you don't have a slicer, freeze the cooked rested beef for 45 minutes before slicing. It firms up and slices much thinner.
Where to eat italian beef sandwich
Italian beef sandwich in Chicago
Mr. Beef on Orleans ★ 4.4
Mr. Beef on Orleans in Chicago is the no-frills Italian-beef counter that inspired The Bear, opened by Joe Zucchero in 1979, with a sandwich line out past.
OrderItalian beef, dipped, hot peppers. The combo if you want sausage on top.
TipCash only and counter only. Closes by 16:30 on weekdays, earlier on weekends.
Al's Beef (Taylor Street) ★ 4.3
Al's Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago is the original 1938 storefront opened by Al Ferreri, the Italian-beef sandwich on Gonnella bread that defined.
OrderItalian beef, double-dipped, sweet peppers. A side of fries to mop the jus.
TipEat standing at the counter with the lean-rail. The sandwich does not survive a sit-down booth structurally.
Johnnie's Beef ★ 4.6
Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park is the suburban-edge Italian-beef counter on North Avenue since 1961, known for the combo (beef and sausage) and the Italian.
OrderCombo, dipped, hot peppers. Italian lemonade in the lemon-and-ice flavour, large.
TipCash only. Two lines: one for sandwiches, one for Italian lemonade. They are not the same staff.
Portillo's Hot Dogs ★ 4.2
Portillo's in Chicago is the Ontario Street flagship of the chain founded 1963 by Dick Portillo, with Chicago hot dogs, Italian beef and the chocolate cake.
OrderA Chicago dog, an Italian beef dipped, a small chocolate cake shake.
TipDrive-thru is faster than the counter. The chocolate cake shake is a chocolate shake with a slice of chocolate cake blended into the cup.
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