Chicagoans are proud of their gourmet steak sandwich which they call Italian beef. Did you know that this sandwich does not – and never did – exist in Italy?
There are many different stories about the origin of this gourmet Italian sandwich, but it is believed to have started in the 1930’s. One story tells us that an Italian immigrant cook in a restaurant thought the Philly steak sandwich was too bland and started playing around with some Italian seasonings and hot peppers to “kick it up a notch”. Supposedly, his boss was not happy with his new “concoction” and promptly fired him. The man then decided to start setting up stands and selling his gourmet Italian beef sandwiches to the public. It soon became quite popular and it was often served at Italian weddings. Since the cut of meat used is not very expensive, this made for thrifty fare to serve the guests without breaking the bank.
