MAID-RITE SANDWICH

[wolfy]

I had never tasted a Maid-Rite sandwich until I married Heather, but she always talked about how much she misses them here in Nebraska.     The Maid-Rite was invented in Marshalltown, Iowa where Heather was born, but it is a regional sandwich (like Nebraska's Runza) with only a limited number of restaurants in the chain.  There are some in Iowa, Illinois & Missouri, so try one out if you see one in your travels....you'll be glad you did, I think.

There are 'sloppy joes' 'loose meats' and 'taverns,' but those are usually tomato-based and bear little resemblance to the Maid-Rite in taste or texture.  The original recipe is a trade secret, but a few years ago, Alton Brown of the Food Network took a motorcycle trip up the Great River Road where he fell in love with the Maid-Rite in Davenport, Iowa.....and then made it his mission to replicate the recipe.    There are lots of copycat recipes for them out there, but this recipe comes closest to replicating the original....accordi ng to Heather's recollection.   It's ultra simple in the number of ingredients, but it's the METHOD that's key to it's preparation, so follow it closely if you decide to try it.


ALTON BROWN'S MAID-RITES

Ingredients:
            1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
            1 medium onion, very finely minced (This is important: a fine chop won't do & don't be tempted to use a food processor or you'll end up with a watery mess.
            1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
                         1/2 cup water
            1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
            1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

Instructions:
Place the beef and onion in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Cook until the beef is completely cooked through but not browning, 8 to 9 minutes, constantly mashing the beef with a potato masher in order to break the chunks into the smallest possible pieces...it should look like coarse cornmeal.  Add the remaining ingredients and continue to steam & simmer for another 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Using a hand mixer, mix for another 2 to 3 minutes on high.  Serve on hamburger buns with ketchup, mustard, cheese and dill pickle chips.

[madmax]

Sounds great!  My lunchtime hotdog doesn't look so good now.  lol

[wsdstan]

I had a peanut butter and butter sandwich for lunch with a cup of Lipton's chicken noodle soup.  Then I read this and wept.   

Never had, nor  heard of, this sandwich before but it sounds good.

[madmax]

Kelly has eaten a PBJ everyday at work for 38 years... I couldn't do that no matter how much I like them.

[wsdstan]

Me neither on eating the same stuff every day for 38 years.  I gripe when I get leftover chicken three days in a gow.

[wsdstan]

It's ultra simple in the number of ingredients, but it's the METHOD that's key to it's preparation, so follow it closely if you decide to try it.

Serve on hamburger buns with ketchup, mustard, cheese and dill pickle chips?

First how do you mince a white onion and is it supposed to be a sweet one or a hot one?  Secondly how do they serve the ketchup, mustard, cheese, and dill pickle chips.

I want to get this right. 

Thank you.

[hayshaker]

does sound good I guess i'm slumming for dinner today i'm just having home raised beef short ribs,
seasoned fries and coleslaw.

[wolfy]

It's ultra simple in the number of ingredients, but it's the METHOD that's key to it's preparation, so follow it closely if you decide to try it.

Serve on hamburger buns with ketchup, mustard, cheese and dill pickle chips?

First how do you mince a white onion and is it supposed to be a sweet one or a hot one?  Secondly how do they serve the ketchup, mustard, cheese, and dill pickle chips.

I want to get this right. 

Thank you.

This is basically how Chef Palmer taught me to finely mince an onion.  Make all the parallel cuts as close together as you can for a really fine mince......



We used a sweet onion and the end-result tasted great to us.

The topping condiments are left up to the individual, but we like the traditional Maid-Rite pairing of dill chips & cheap yellow mustard.

[wsdstan]

Thanks, I looked minced up and wasn't sure what it was.

The condiments are what I thought but just in case you were using everything that was listed.  Mustard and dill slices will work well.   

By the way: I was changing part D of medicare coverage this morning at a Humana session in Spearfish SD.  The girl who was helping us with the applications had a name tag that said Davenport Iowa on it.  I asked her if she had ever eaten a Maid-Rite sandwich.  She lit up like a neon sign, "Oh yes" she said with real enthusiasm.  "They are really great.  "None around here though" she added with a frown.

[Yellowyak]

The Maid-Rite sandwich sounds great, and I'll have to try making some soon. I'm also interested in the Nebraska Runza, that sounds interesting also. I've not heard of either one.

[wsdstan]

Here is one Runza recipe.  I have eaten them a few times.  Usually when we were pheasant hunting in South Dakota and Nebraska.  They are good if you like cabbage. 

https://www.food.com/recipe/runza-sandwich-bieroc-266620

[Yellowyak]

Thanks Stan, I do happen to like cabbage. I'll definitely give it a try sometime.

[wolfy]

I think the original German/Russian recipe is a little different than that, but it's close.  I'll poke around and see what I can find.

[wolfy]

ADDENDUM:

The time limit to modify the OP has slipped by me, but I would like to add that the 'simmer/steaming' period is crucial to the taste of the filling in the MAID-RITE sandwich.  Shortcuts there, and in the final mixing of the filling with the hand-mixer, will detract from the overall finish.

[lgm]

Sounds like a Tastee sandwich. A local drive in. ( the first in Lincoln I believe ) the restaurant is gone but they have a food truck driving around. Good sandwich & famous onion chips & dip.

[wolfy]

I like those Tastee sandwiches, too....much more toothsome than the common, everyday, fast-food menu offerings.....AND those famous Tastee onion chips are made from REAL onions!

The only one I visit (or even know about) is the Tastee Inn & Out in Sioux City, Iowa.  It is almost directly across the street from a McDonald's.....yet it continues to thrive with repeat customers who know what actually tastes good in the universe of fast-food sandwiches.