A quick recipe for you this evening. We've been eating these quick sandwiches quite a bit lately thanks to my Mama. She grew up in Binghamton, NY and on the often snow-clad streets of this Upstate town, you might find a little dive bar called Sharkey's. The restaurant claims to have invented this dish - skewered meat, marinated for days - nestled between a fold of white bread. It's called the Spiedie. We had them very occasionally as kids - our first at Sharkey's when visiting my grandparents who at the time still lived Upstate. And more recently when my best friend and I took a quick road trip up to Buffalo for a concert - we stopped in on my mother's insistence. I had forgotten how delicious they are. But after my Mom attended her high school reunion last year - and spending nearly every meal at Sharkey's - they've found their way into regular rotation when we are together.

I've been meaning to post about the Spiedie now for a while. We'd been using a cocktail of different dressings to replicate the flavor of the marinade - and hit the mother load when we found the Spiedie Sauce at a local grocer. But I really wanted to see if I could replicate the marinade myself. And I think we did it. 

A few notes - the meat can be cooked after 24 hours in the marinade - but it really needs 48 hours if you can manage. Also - soft white bread. The bane of our existence I know - but the intensity of the marinade gets lost with wheat - make an exception and use white. You can use any meat - lamb, beef, chicken; like any good Jew, we prefer pork. Finally - and my mother thinks this is sacrilegious - we LOVE mayo on our bread.

 

THE SPIEDIE

3 lbs. pork tenderloin (cubed)

3/4 c. grapeseed oil

3/4 c. tarragon wine vinegar (white wine vinegar works as well)

1 T. white vinegar

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 t. salt

2 t. pepper

1 t. garlic powder

3 t. dried chopped onion

1 T. dried mint

1 T. oregano

You'll also need:

skewers

white bread (we love the soft Italian sliced bread)

Place your cubed meat in a large bowl. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients and pour over the meat. Using a spoon (or your clean hands) ensure that the marinade is thoroughly coating all of the meat. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

 

When you’re ready to cook, work the meat onto the skewers - no more than 6 pieces per stick - until you've used all of the meat. There are several ways you can cook these; we've broiled them and grilled them - but I think the most authentic flavor comes from using a cast iron griddle. Regardless, cook until they brown just slightly - about 6-7 minutes per side.

When you are ready to enjoy, place a skewer onto a piece of bread, then gently twist and pull the skewer out leaving the meat behind on your bread - and there you go. The girls LOVE these. The first time we made them at home for the girls, Ari could not remember the name - she ate three and complained all night that she ate too many "smarties." Pretty damn cute.

 

Comments

[Sarah]

Marinated meat on bread ... you had me at hello.

[Tami]

liked your jewish humor!
is it ok for the fresh meet to be so long uncooked?

[jen]

hi tami - yes - buy it fresh and cube it that day - then letting it sit for 48 hours in the marinade is just fine - but no longer!

[Rose D. Frenchtown, NJ]

My hubby will love this!!! Great to see a new recipe from you. You have been missed!

[jen]

rose - you are the sweetest - thanks for always being here! xx

[mama]

i LOVE your blog, honey. . .happy to see that the spiedies made it!!! thank you sooo much. . .i love YOU, mama

[Jillian P]

These look soooo awesome! Would they make a good party food to prepare right before guests arrive as in, ok to serve not piping hot, right off the grill? Maybe I could just individually wrap the skewers in foil. Also, what type of cast iron griddle do you like? I'm always willing to pay for the next kitchen tool that makes delicious treats like these!

[Jane]

I,too had my first spiedie at Sharkey's, when dating my husband. Spiedies are a very big part of the Binghamton culture. They are a staple in our diet and we never grow tired of them, it's not a cook-out without spiedies! They're a great topper for a tossed green salad too.

[jen a]

Love you Mama!

Jillian - We have the Lodge cast iron flat top - works perfectly for these - and YES - piping hot is always good ;)

Jane - we've done the same with the leftovers as salad toppers - if there ever is any!

[BeckySue]

A dear friend of mine is from Binghamton and has been living in Portland, OR for 7 years. She's often spoke of this illusive marinade called Spiedies. It honestly is one of the things she misses most about upstate life. Her mom even sent out a care package of the marinade, unfortunately it broke open in transit. I randomly ran across the recipe on your blog and decided to surprise her with a batch of chicken skewers. After a single bite, she was instantly transported to Binghamton. She told me I nailed it and she was over the moon to taste the authentic tangy goodness known as Spiedies. Thanks for breaking it down. I am hooked now, too!