Building the perfect Italian sub
Chicago’s sandwich kings take you through the ins and outs of the delicatessen classic.
At the summit of every respectable deli menu across the country rests a sandwich that is known by many names. Whether your regional dialect refers to it as Hero, Hoagie or the Works, it’s widely recognized across the country by one name--the Italian sub.
According to sandwich lore, the sub was invented in 1899 in Portland, Maine, when Italian baker Giovanni Amato decided to create a portable and inexpensive lunch for construction workers. It's a blue-collar sub, equal parts delicious and affordable, and that never goes out of style.
At its core, it is a sandwich with ham and cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion. It’s easy enough to construct, but this simplicity can lead to betrayal. When you bit into a bad Italian sandwich, it hits you like a Fiat. So if you're looking to craft your own Italian sub to watch the big game on a Saturday afternoon but unsure how to proceed, fear not. We've asked some of Chicago's best Italian sandwich-makers for the tips you need to create a Hero worthy of its name.
It all starts with the bread
The bread lives a tortured lifestyle as part of the sandwich. It’s viewed as interchangeable with so many serviceable options available for choosing. However, its importance is paramount to the Italian sub experience. The bread is the first component that hits your mouth--in other words, it can make or break your Italian. The key to a perfect Italian sub bread is balance, says Michael DiCosola, owner of Conte Di Savoia, which is located on Taylor Street in Little Italy
“The bread is important,” says DiCosola. “It has to be not too soft and not too crispy, has to be just to right. Because if it’s too hard, people will complain that it’s all bread. If it’s too soft, then people say it’s too chewy. ”
DiCosola recommends using a bread type that produces a good crunch without being too abrasive. You certainly don’t want a sub that hurts the roof of your mouth when you bite into it. A nicely shaped piece of French bread that is crispy and chewable is always the safest bet.
Keep the meat thin and don’t be afraid to get fancy
At the center of the Italian sub rests its base--the meat. The standard sandwich errs on the side of simplicity, electing to use ham to form the classic sub. However, don’t be afraid to go above and beyond. High-quality meats will never hurt your sandwich’s case. Layering on thin slices of capicola, salami, and mortadella is incredibly pertinent, but the importance lies in the preparation.
“Start with high-quality meats and have your slices fresh to order,” says Jim Graziano, the owner of the West Loop shop J.P. Graziano Grocery. “Once you open up any salumi [a general term for dry-cured meat] from the original package, you are literally reversing the process. Oxidation is your biggest enemy for lunch meats. If I gave you a piece sliced two hours ago, it’s going to have a real funk to it.”
J.P Graziano’s has its Italian down to a science, turning the sandwich-making assembly line into an efficient, well-oiled machine. The four types of meat that they lay on their bread, genoa salami, mortadella, hard salami, and hot capicola, are sliced every time, fresh to order. This attention to detail on meat employed by the West Loop staple is the standard that you should hope to achieve each time you make an Italian.
Stick to the classic toppings
Yes, sandwich-making is all about preference. The first priority is always to make sure your toppings are chosen to your liking. But for first-time Italian sub-eaters, it’s understandable to be a little lost as to which toppings go best with fancy hams and cheese.
If you’re ever unsure about how to garnish your Italian, there’s a clear, tried-and-true formula to ensure every bite is enjoyable. Topping your sub off with lettuce, tomato, onion, olive oil, and vinegar will never fail to satisfy. Some aficionados love to add giardiniera--a relish of pickled vegetables--to add a spicy kick to their sandwich.
“Of course, being a Chicagoan, you have to use the Chicago condiment,” Graziano says. “Every sandwich has to be topped with giardiniera. I’m a purist and I love the heat of it.”
Your mileage may vary on the toppings, which is why moderation is the key. That said, some sub gurus do advocate for more controversial condiments.
“Yeah, I like a little bit of mayo on my Italian, not too crazy though,” says Ryan Bari, co-owner of Bari Subs and Italian Food, located in West Town. “But the old school Italians, if they see you put mayo on your Italian sandwich, they’ll come back over and kill you.”