The least known of Chicago’s old-time street food specialties, and increasingly the scarcest, breaded steak is the South Side version of Italian steak Milanese, central European Wiener schnitzel, Cuban bistec empanizado, and Texan chicken-fried steak. For this sandwich, a broad, pounded-tender sheet of beef gets breaded and fried, and then it is rolled hot with mozzarella cheese (which melts instantly), spicy tomato sauce, and, optionally, hot giardiniera relish or roasted peppers. The awesome lode, stuffed into a length of chewy Italian bread, is barely pickupable, but rarely is it served with utensils. Made by neighborhood grocery stores and a few vintage restaurants, breaded steak customarily is presented well-wrapped in butcher paper that can be unfolded as a makeshift tablecloth for a laminate counter or automobile dashboard. In Kansas City, a very similar sandwich is known as Italian steak.
Breaded Steak
Of all the messy sandwiches that theoretically can be picked up in two hands, Chicago’s breaded steak is the messiest. It therefore demands a rugged bread. International cooks will note that the steak itself is something like Milanese, but by the time the sandwich is constructed, all resemblance is lost.
Flour
1 flank steak, 8–10 ounces
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil for frying
1 10- to 12-inch length of sturdy Italian bread, sliced horizontally
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
⅓ cup warm marinara sauce (sometimes known as gravy)
Sweet peppers, giardiniera, or hot peppers to taste
1. Sprinkle a bit of flour on a smooth, clean surface, flip the steak on it a couple of times so it has some flour on both sides, and then use a meat pounder to pound it to less than ¼ inch thick and nearly a foot square.
2. Mix together the egg and water in a broad, shallow dish. In a separate broad, shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat cooking oil in a broad skillet to 360°F.
4. Dip the steak in the egg mixture, turning and folding until it is fully moistened, then dredge it in the seasoned crumbs and cheese, trying to coat it thoroughly. Slide the steak into the hot oil and cook until light brown, about 4 minutes. Do not let the steak cook until dark.
5. Remove the steak from the pan onto paper towels and instantly roll it up so it will fit inside the bread. Immediately place it in the loaf and top it with the shredded mozzarella. Pour on the marinara and add condiments as desired.
6. Do not be concerned if you are now staring at a plate of food that scarcely bears any resemblance to a portable sandwich. This is the way a breaded steak should look.
1 SANDWICH