(whooshing)
(upbeat music)
- All episode long we've been checking out
the perfect ingredients to make the classic
Italian beef sandwich.
- [Man] Beef.
- [Man] Bread.
- [Man] Giardiniera.
- And now it's time to put them all together.
(ding)
Ricardo, Jean, William, and so many others all said.
- Buona.
- Buona beef.
- There's no doubt, it's Buona beef.
- We had to get the beef at Buona.
(light music)
- So Joe, this is the culmination
of our Italian beef special.
We've got our ingredients.
What better place to come to put them all together,
and enjoy a beef than with one of the Chicago originals.
- We like to say, "The American dream through Italian beef."
(upbeat music)
- [Joe] So 1981, my dad took a $10,000
second mortgage out on his home,
and we had a little 1,500 square foot beef restaurant.
And, we make that beef sandwich
the exact same way since we started.
- [Man] Thank you.
(groove music)
- [Elliott] There are so many other Italian beef
establishments in Chicago, obviously.
What is it about recipe, or the way you guys do it,
or deliver it that makes it unique, and the best?
- Truly, the real secret to it is the juice.
You can make it dry.
Which is just a very little bit of juice.
You kinda drain the beef as your putting it on the sandwich.
- It's like a tease.
- Yeah, it's like a little tease.
It's still submerged, so you still get the flavor.
Second, is dipped.
Lightly dip the ends in so that the crusty bread
gets nice and soft on the ends.
The other way is what we call baptized.
(ethereal music)
That's when you submerge the entire sandwich into the gravy.
Can't go wrong with that.
- It's a special way.
- [Joe] Yeah you can't go wrong.
(groove music)
- [Elliott] Who am I gonna cook with?
Who am I gonna make the beef with?
- [Joe] Well, you're going to make
the beef sandwich with Don.
Our youngest brother.
- Who am I going to eat with though?
- You're gonna eat with me.
And maybe Don, we'll see.
If he does a good job, we could add him to the
eating right?
- Are you guys gonna flank me, either side, and.
- We might.
- A proper Buona sandwich.
- Right.
- Okay.
(upbeat music)
- So Joe has passed me off to Donny.
And Donny is the man who's gonna help us
put together a classic, all Chicago, Italian beef sandwich.
- Have you ever made an Italian beef before?
- I don't think.
(static)
- Elliott, I'm going to show you how to do this.
- I got this.
I got this.
You gettin' this?
I made this.
(camera shutter)
Got that?
You know what, this is a real hard job.
- Want me to give you a break here?
- Oh sure, why not.
(comical squeak)
I don't recall making an Italian beef before.
- So the first thing we have to do.
Put this beef in the gravy.
And we have to let it sit for a minimum of five minutes,
but no more than 15.
So you want it to heat up,
but you don't want it to get tough.
- Second thing that you can't
make an Italian beef without
is the bread.
- The bread.
- And this stuff is the best.
- So we only use Turano bread.
(ding)
So the first thing you have to do,
it's called the crunch.
- [Man] Ouch.
- And what that does, is it allows
the bread to open up without crackin'.
That is a prefect looking piece of bread.
Just like that.
- [Elliott] When the beef is hot and ready,
we load up our bread, and it's time
for the most important question of the day.
- How do you Buona?
(spring boings)
- Well, that's kinda personal.
(laughter)
Dipped.
(splash)
Hot.
(scream)
And sweet.
- Perfect.
(Homer Simpson mm)
- [Elliott] That means ends in the gravy.
- [Donny] Hot and juicy.
- [Elliott] Covered in giardiniera.
I like a little color in there.
And, garnished with sweet peppers.
- [Donny] There you go.
- [Elliott] With my Chicago classic ready,
it's about time I find out how you like it best.
(funk music)
- I love mozzarella cheese.
I like sweet peppers, and a little bit of red sauce.
- I like it baptized.
- Dipped.
- Sometimes some hot peppers.
- If you're feeling a little bit spicy.
- Exactly.
- I order mine sweet, and wet.
- Okay.
- And that's Chicago.
(laughter)
(funk music)
- This is what I feared.
I got a Buona sandwich right now.
(laughter)
- So do you think he gets the shirt?
Or you think he's ready, or what?
I mean.
- What shirt?
- Well you know everybody that goes through the course
of how to make an Italian beef sandwich,
if you pass you get
(ta-da music)
The Italian beef university.
- Shut up!
(laughter)
- [Elliott] This is my graduation party.
The famous Buona beef sandwich.
- You want a toast?
- Clink it.
The Italian beef.
(funk music)
- You never forget your first beef sandwich.
This brings it all flooding back.
The right amount of marbling,
Perfect seasoning, and then
the drippings that make up that gravy.
(laughter)
- [Man] You got it
- I can't thank you enough for having us here today.
And I also can't think of a better place
to finish up our making the Italian beef.
Putting all those great ingredients together,
and celebrating a Chicago tradition.
Grab a beef guys.
Celebrate.
(funk music)
(whooshing)