Chicken Spiedies

Spiedie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The spiedie /ˈspiːdi/ is a sub local to Greater Binghamton in the Southern Tier of New York State, and somewhat more broadly known and enjoyed throughout Central New York state.  A spiedie consists of cubes of chicken, pork, lamb, veal, venison or beef. The meat cubes are marinated overnight or longer (sometimes for as long as two weeks under a controlled environment) in a special marinade, then grilled on spits (if steel skewers are used, they are called "spiedie rods") over a charcoal pit.

The traditional method involves serving freshly prepared cubes of lamb, chicken, or beef on soft Italian bread, and occasionally drizzled with fresh marinade. However, it is common to find them served on a submarine roll, and chicken is now the meat of choice due to cost. The bread is used as an oven glove to grip the meat while the skewer is removed. Spiedie meat cubes can also be eaten straight off the skewer or can be served in salads, stir fries, and a number of other dishes. The marinade recipe varies, usually involving olive oil, vinegar, and a variety of Italian spices and fresh mint.

Spiedies have been celebrated at the Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally in Binghamton, New York, every August, since 1983. The annual event includes a spiedie cook-off in search of the best spiedie recipes. The spiedie and the Spiedie Fest were featured on an episode of The Food Network's "Unwrapped".

Commercial marinades are available regionally and can be ordered from various internet websites for shipment throughout the world.

Etymology

The term "spiedie" comes from the Italian spiedo meaning spit or spiedini referring to cubes or balls of meat cooked on a skewer. The regional dish in Abruzzo, Italy most closely resembling spiedie uses goat meat, lamb, chicken or beef on a skewer, and is known as spidducc'. Another regional dish from Sicily, zúzzu, consists of a gelatinous sausage made from the cartilage of pork and beef meat that is usually served cut into cubes.

History

The original idea for spiedie was brought by Italian immigrants to Upstate New York in the early 1920s. The specific origin of the spiedie is disputed. Traditionally the early Broome County spiedie was made only from spring lamb, but currently most commercial restaurants prepare spiedie using chicken or pork. The "chicken category" was added to the Spiedie Fest cook-off in 1987, and quickly became the most popular meat choice.

Origins (1939–1950)

Camillo Iacovelli created the spiedie in Endwell, N.Y., but his brother Augustino and Peter Sharak popularized spiedies, Augie in his Endicott, N.Y., restaurant, and Sharky's in Binghamton, N.Y. [2]

Augie began serving spiedie sandwiches in 1939 when he opened Augie's, his first restaurant. He emigrated from Abruzzo, Italy (Civitella Casanova) at the age of 25 in 1923. His son Guido continued in the spiedie business into the 1990s, owning as many as 26 restaurants at the peak of his career.[3]

Iacovelli's marinade, which he called Zuzu, originally was made simply from wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic, and mint. Italian spices, olive oil, and minced onion were added later as regional tastes and the choice of meat began to vary.[3]

Sharak is also supposed to have invented spiedies. Apparently, patrons of Sharkey’s Bar and Grill were served lamb straight from the grill on its metal skewer with slices of bread. At the original Sharkey's on Glenwood Avenue the spiedies are preceded, accompanied, and followed by copious amounts of beer. Sharkey's promotes itself as the birthplace of the sandwich in television commercials across the greater Binghamton area.[4]

Though the issue is disputed, Sharkey’s began serving spiedies in 1947, which makes Iacovelli more likely to have invented the dish first.

Growth of Popularity (1950–1990)

Through the 1960s, and 1970s, spiedies also became popular with the families of deer hunters since venison has a strong game quality and is similar to lamb. Many local families made their own marinade and enjoyed the wild game as a delicacy of back yard grills.

In 1975, Rob Salamida became the first person to bottle the sauce and sell it. He began by cooking spiedies outside a local tavern at 16. After writing letters for over a year the New York State Fair allowed him to have his own booth at the Syracuse Fairgrounds.

For 12 years he built his reputation at the fair. After a tornado nearly struck his stand in 1975, he decided it would be more lucrative and safer to bottle a spiedie marinade. Today, Salamida's Original State Fair Spiedie Sauce is the highest selling spiedie marinade.[5]

Through the 1980s Danny "Moonbeam" (a local flat-track dirt motorcycle racing star) furthered the popularity of spiedies by selling them from porches of local bars at night in order to finance his motorcycle racing hobby. Lori Vesely featured spiedies straight off the grill at The Endwell Pub. Pork was especially good for long-grilling time making the bar-spiedie a favorite of both staff and customers.

In 1983 a few families got together and held a spiediefest  that was a tremendous hit. Coupled with a Balloon Rally it quickly grew to an annual 100,000 person festival (and also one of the top balloon rallies in the country). 

http://www.spiediefest.com/

Availability in the United States

One of the restaurants most famous for spiedies today, Lupo's Char-Pit, was established in 1967 by John, Sam, and Bart Lupo in Endwell, New York. Spiedies became a primary component of their menu in the 1980s.

There are many restaurants in the Southern Tier that specialize in spiedies: Brooks' House of Bar-B-Que, Lupo's Char Pit, Sharkey's Restaurant, Spiedie and Rib Pit, and Lupo's S & S Grill are some of the more well known. Spiedies are also featured by several vendors at the annual New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York.

In Atlanta, Georgia, Dantanna's near Lenox Square Mall and The Spiedie Grill are listed.

While shish kabobs are often referenced when describing spiedies to those who have never had them, spiedies are not considered the same.

The Angry Dog (Deep Ellum - Dallas, Texas) also serves spiedies, specifically referring to them as "Binghamton, NY - style Spiedies".

Roma's Italian of Cary, located in Cary, North Carolina, sells both chicken and pork spiedies. They are also the only seller in North Carolina of Lupo's bottled Spiedie marinade.

"Dilworth Neighborhood Grill" located on Morehead St. in Charlotte, NC, has two spiedie items on the menu, a chicken spiedi on bread and a chicken spiedi pizza. Both are popular.

Serena Sicilian Influenced Gastropub, in Durham, North Carolina, serves "Endicott N.Y.- Style Chicken Spiedie’s". The owner of Serena, Giuseppe Cataldo, is the son of the founders of Tony's Pizza in Endicott, New York.

Johnny V's, located in Louisville, Kentucky, sells chicken, pork, and beef spiedies.

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Spiedies, pronounced “speedies”,  are a NY regional favorite and for good reason. For those of you not in the know, Spiedies are skewered grilled meat that has been marinated and dressed in Zuzu sauce, placed in a toasted hoagie, sub, hot dog bun or Italian bread and eaten as a sandwich.

The secret to Spiedies is twofold.  A great Zuzu and a long marination.  Marination time is a minimum 24 hrs and can run as long as 5 days.  I usually go with a 2 day marination but not this time.  I can't wait that long because I’m jonesing so 24 hours it is.        

Zuzu works with lamb, pork, beef and even venison but today we are making Chicken Spiedies. There are many recipes for Zuzu and they all use the same basic ingredient list.  More or less.  I've settled on this one because it has more.

Zuzu marinade/sauce 

Makes enough or 3 lbs meat.

-1/2 C Olive oil

-1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice.  (About 2 large lemons.)

-3/4 C white wine vinegar. (Use red for pork, lamb etc.)

-1 rounded T sugar

-6-10 cloves garlic peeled.  I use 10 large.  (Can’t use to much garlic.:eek:)

-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

-1 tsp dried oregano

-1 tsp dried basil

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

-1/2 C picked mint leaves. (About one .66oz container.)

Put it all into a blender and let 'er rip.  

Once you get a whiff of this stuff you'll know you've made the right decision.

Cut the meat up into skewer-sized pieces keeping cooking shrinkage in mind.  Place the meat piecesinto a large zip-lock bag and pour all of that wonderful Zuzu you’ve just made over the whole mess. Massage the bag a bit to evenly distribute. 

Now comes the hard part.  Put the bag into the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 3 days, turning occasionally.  I usually go for a 48 hr marinade but that's just me.  The vinegar in the sauce will begin to "cook" the meat but don't worry.  It will be fine.

You can reserve some of your freshly made Zuzu to use as a dressing sauce later but I like to bring the left over marinade to simmer for a couple of minutes to mellow out the garlic and especially because raw chicken has been soaking in it. :eek:

Today we are putting together Chicken Spiedies.  I’m using about 3 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs because I want the finished product to be as tender and juicy as possible.

Zuzu in the blender.  Pretty, isn't it?

Cut up chicken thighs in a zip lock bag at the start of the 24 hr marinade.  Don’t worry about trimming all of the fat from these thighs.  It will melt away on the grill.

Exactly 24 hours later and not a second longer (jonesing remember) she’s done. 

Skewer the marinated chicken and let them sit at room temperature while you’re torking up your Primo to let some of the marinade drain off.

Reserved Zuzu marinade simmering on the stove to be used as a dressing.

Chicken hits the grill.  The sugar, vinegar and lemon juice virtually guarantee wonderful browning.  Please, please, please do not overcook.

Yay.. Spiedies!!!

Italian bread grilled and moistened with reserved Zuzu.  

This part is not traditional but I added some shredded lettuce this time.

Add a couple of spiedie skewers and brush the meat with reserved Zuzu.  Grab hold of the bread and hold it tight enough to pull skewers out leaving the chicken behind.

Chicken Spiedie Sandwich

Give this a try.  Highly recommended.