Pittsburgh regional cuisine
Hi all, I'm late to the party but I'd like to revive this thread. i don't think anyone completely spoke to the regional dishes of Pittsburgh, so here's a non-definitive list:
City Chicken: Actually pork. Take cubed pork and skewer it to look like a chicken drumstick. Coat in flour and pan fry with some chix stock. This regional favorite came about in early 1900s when pork was much cheaper than highbrow chicken.
Haluski: (AKA Halushki, Kluski, Klushki) Buttered noodles, onions and cabbage. My gram made it with Sauerkraut, but I like it with a fresh head myself!
Stuffed Cabbage: Pork and rice rolled in cabbage leaves and stewed in Tomato Sauce
Stuffed Peppers: (AKA Halumpki) Pork and rice stuffed into whole green peppers and stewed in Tomato Sauce
Funnel Cake: Waffle-like batter siphoned through a funnel into a deep fryer to create a paper-plate-sized 'nest' of fried dough. Topped with mounds of powdered sugar
Lady Locks: (AKA Clothespin Cookies, Cream Horns) Tubes of pastry dough filled with sweet whipped frosting and doused with powdered sugar. (My favorite treat!) These are always on the "Cookie Table" at Pittsburgh and Ohio weddings along with ...
Pizzelles: Pronounced pits-sells. Lacy wafer cookies made in a waffle-iron device by one's grandmother. Often flavored with anise and/or vanilla.
Chipped Ham, Jumbo: Mentioned above, the chipped ham is from a deli called Isaly's that shaves a high-fat-content ham so thin that it's 'chip-chopped.' 'Jumbo' is how we refer to bologna, I guess short for Jumbo Bologna.. you can get away with just asking for a pound of jumbo! Try the jumbo (bologna) sandwich at Primanti's with a fried egg on top!
Pierogies: Mentioned above, dumplings filled with (most commonly) potato and cheese or sweet cabbage. They are boiled and then pan fried with pounds of butter and onions. Some old-school residents still fill theirs with prunes (yuck). Today it's popular to get a Pierogie Pizza, which is pizza dough topped with mashed potatoes, butter and onions and a cheddar/mozzarella mix!
Kielbasa and Sauerkraut: Pronounced keel-boss-ee. Amazingly delicious smoked garlic & black pepper Polish sausage. Braised in sauerkraut, often finished on the grill and eaten on a sausage roll at Stillers tailgating parties.
Pittsburgh Steak Salad: Born of the same philosophy behind the Primanti's Sandwich (get all your courses in one dish) the coal miners needed to shower on their lunch break so they needed a fast hearty meal. So restaurants would dump the meat, vegetables and boiled potatoes all into one bowl. This has evolved into the Pittsburgh Steak Salad: a Garden salad topped with sliced steak (or chicken) and potatoes (usually french fries, though Fatheads makes the best with boiled redskins, sauteed onions & peppers). Most joints top it with loads of cheese and ranch dressing, of course.
Barbara
