Binghamton Spiedie's with ZuZu sauce

[Aunt Bea]

This is a big hit in Central New York state.

Various towns in the area claim to be home to it and many original recipes exist.

This is nice to take on a camping trip because it does not take up much room in the cooler.

I hope you will give it a try!

Binghamton Spiedie with ZuZu Sauce

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T dried mint
6 cloves minced garlic
4 t white sugar
1 t dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 dried bay leaf
1 t salt
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t black pepper
3 pounds boneless meat cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
6 skewers
1 loaf Italian bread or six hoagie rolls

Directions:

Combine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
Place the meat in a large zip lock plastic bag, pour in marinade. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Remove meat and place on the skewers. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. This step is very important to kill the bacteria from the meat. If you cannot cook the remaining marinade discard it!

Place skewers on the preheated grill and cook for 5 or 6 minutes on each side until charred on the outside and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes total cooking time. Remove from grill and rest the meat for a few minutes.

Place a skewer between two slices of bread and pull the meat off of the skewer. Drizzle some of the cooked marinade on the meat and enjoy! I like the bread or rolls toasted on the grill.

Notes:

This is good with chicken, pork, lamb, beef or venison.

It is also good made with different vinegars. I believe it was originally made with red wine vinegar.

Experiment with the seasonings and herbs to make it your own.

[justplainbill]

ZuZu was popular with many of Endicott Johnson's employee's.

[buckytom]

looks good, b.

i wonder how marinated shish kebabs on bread with the reheated marinade got such an interesting name? i mean, a lot of older cultures have very similar dishes.

[justplainbill]

Originally Posted by buckytom

looks good, b.

i wonder how marinated shish kebabs on bread with the reheated marinade got such an interesting name? i mean, a lot of older cultures have very similar dishes.

Spiedie is likely a derivation of the word spiedini.

[Aunt Bea]

Originally Posted by buckytom

looks good, b.

i wonder how marinated shish kebabs on bread with the reheated marinade got such an interesting name? i mean, a lot of older cultures have very similar dishes.

Beats me!

I don't bother with the skewers.

I usually marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs, grill em and put em on a roll.

They are nice for an all day family reunion style eat-a-thon.

[Tim from Vestal]

Speidies were introduced in Endicott NY by the Iacovellis in the 20's as street food - a simple meat sandwich served from a cart to the Italian shoemakers at Endicott Johnson Shoes. Both brothers opened restaurants, Augie's in 1939, i remember him well from my youth in the 60s. If kebab is a class of food so be it, speidies are them, but spedies are a very specific recipe arising from a family originating in north central Italy - Adriatic side. We ate them for decades before I ever heard the word kebab, and noone in the Triple Cities would ever call them kabob. The name derives from one or more Italian words referring to skewers or skewered meat. In fact skewered meats in the Meditteranean long predate the Arabic which gave us the word kebab.
The originals were always lamb marinated for at least 3 days (better longer) and served with a slice of fresh Italian bread, squeezed around the meat to pull it off the skewer, plain or with a little zu-zu (the marinade). Never any cheese, any white sauce, or any veggies. Lamb or venison still make the best and moistest, beef, pork and chicken really don't compare, they just don't take the marinade the same way. Also, never a roll in the original - too much bread. Recipes are often family secrets, many published don't resemble real speidies. This one actually looks pretty good. Thanks Aunt Bea, but add some Chianti. I think I need to go make some.

[pacanis]

Thanks for the information, Tim. And for bringing this back up. I missed it the first time around.

[Kylie1969]

Cheers Bea

Originally Posted by Aunt Bea

This is a big hit in Central New York state.

Various towns in the area claim to be home to it and many original recipes exist.

This is nice to take on a camping trip because it does not take up much room in the cooler.

I hope you will give it a try!

Binghamton Spiedie with ZuZu Sauce

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T dried mint
6 cloves minced garlic
4 t white sugar
1 t dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 dried bay leaf
1 t salt
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t black pepper
3 pounds boneless meat cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
6 skewers
1 loaf Italian bread or six hoagie rolls

Directions:

Combine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
Place the meat in a large zip lock plastic bag, pour in marinade. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Remove meat and place on the skewers. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. This step is very important to kill the bacteria from the meat. If you cannot cook the remaining marinade discard it!

Place skewers on the preheated grill and cook for 5 or 6 minutes on each side until charred on the outside and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes total cooking time. Remove from grill and rest the meat for a few minutes.

Place a skewer between two slices of bread and pull the meat off of the skewer. Drizzle some of the cooked marinade on the meat and enjoy! I like the bread or rolls toasted on the grill.

Notes:

This is good with chicken, pork, lamb, beef or venison.

It is also good made with different vinegars. I believe it was originally made with red wine vinegar.

Experiment with the seasonings and herbs to make it your own.