Ricobene’s Breaded Steak Sandwich (+ Chicken Vesuvio Sandwich)

Is this the world’s best sandwich? You tell me. One USA today writer back in 2015 seemed to think so, but that’s up for us to decide. Regardless of it’s worldy status, one cannot deny the insane, gut-bombing deliciousness that is the famous Ricobene’s Breaded Steak Sandwich. Today we’re going behind the scenes at Ricobene’s, a southside institution since 1946 to learn how they make their amazing sandwich(es), then we’ll take it back to the crib and have a crack at making it ourselves.

P.S. If you’ve never tried it, the Chicken Vesuvio sandwich is a lesser known order from Ricobene’s and might even be my favorite over the steak sandwich. You should try both. Let’s ride. 🤘🏼Adam

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Joe Yim (@knoxavebbq), Matt Zealand (@chefzealand) and I made a jumbo version of this sandwich for Instagram and TikTok. These pictures are from that day. Check out that video here.

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Stuff I Use...

Parchment Paper

9-inch Springform Pan

My Cookware Set

My Dutch Oven

My Induction Burner

Deli Containers

Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth)

Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids

Portable Single-burner Stove

Butane Torch

Butane Canisters

Coarse Reinforced Strainer

Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer

Sheet Trays

The BEST Smash Burger Spatula

Cutting Board Scraper

Ice Cream Maker

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The Meat Tenderizer Experiment

My buddy Stephen Cusato (of Not Another Cooking Show on YouTube) told me about a trick his restaurant friend shared with him. Stephen’s buddy owns an Italian restaurant in New York and, like so many Italian-American spots, he offers a pounded bone-in veal chop on the menu. These pounded chops are VERY thin and each time I’ve attempted it at home, I haven’t been able to get it as razor thin. Enter: The meat tenderizer!

Now this might look like one of those tools that I’d tell you to steer clear of, but truthfully, I can’t do that. This gadget opens up the door to ultra-thin protein cutlets at home and while you can certainly make this sandwich without it, it’s a nice tool to have at your disposal (and it’s only $10 on Bezos Market).

If you’d like to do this, Stephen says to poke the steak all over, front and back, with the tenderizer and then let it rest in the fridge overnight.

Pictured: The poked steak after being pounded (top left, top right), the normal steak after being pounded (bottom left, bottom right)

Trust me, I didn’t want to like this thing so I tested it. In the pictures you’ll see that I poked one piece of steak all over and left the other normal. After an overnight rest, I pounded them thin for the same amount of time and the end result is clear. Though the poked cutlet isn’t in a single piece like the normal one, it is noticeably thinner and tender (yes, I ate both steaks for dinner that night). Again, this isn’t NESSESARY but it is preferred. Check it.

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Yield: 1 Sandwich

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Ricobene's Breaded Steak Sandwich

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 50 MinInactive time: 7 MinTotal time: 1 H & 17 M

Ingredients

• 1 lb Inner Skirt Steak, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
• 2 eggs
• Seasoned Italian Bread Crumbs, fresh
• Red “Gravy” Sauce
• Neutral Oil, for frying
• Turano French Bread
• Giardiniera, drained
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced and cooked
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced and cooked
• Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Red “Gravy” Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 Garlic Cloves
• 1-28 ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes, crushed
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• Kosher Salt, to taste

Instructions

Red “Gravy” Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat bell peppers with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes until wilted. Let them cool slightly before storing or using.
2. Trim excess fat from the skirt steak. Pound to 1/4 inch thickness with a meat mallet to form a large patty.
3. In a bowl, beat 2 eggs with a dash of water to make the egg wash. Set up two more bowls with flour and Italian breadcrumbs.
4. Coat the steak in flour, dip in egg wash, then coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat the coating process for a second layer. Set aside.
5. Heat frying oil in a large dutch oven to 375°F. Fry steak until golden brown. Remove, season with salt, and set aside.
6. Coat the steak with red sauce. Place in French bread. Add cooked bell peppers, giardiniera, and a generous handful of shredded mozzarella. Wrap the sandwich and let sit for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

1. Melt olive oil and butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir until toasted and darkened, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasted, 1 minute.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, sugar then season to taste with salt. Allow the sauce to simmer for 20 minutes. Either store in the fridge or use immediately. This sauce freezes well, too.

Adam's Notes

• Each sandwich will take about a pound of skirt steak. If you're making more than two sandwiches, I recommend doubling the sauce recipe and, of course, adjusting the amount of toppings you need appropriately - it's up to you how much to use.

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Matt, Joe and I at Ricobene’s (established 1946) filming and R&D’ing for the video. The large man on the right is my favorite large man on the planet.

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Yield: 1 sandwich

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Ricobene's Chicken Vesuvio Sandwich

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 35 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Neutral oil, for frying
• 1 French roll or Turano French bread
• 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
• 2 slices tomato
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp thinly sliced onions
• 2 Tbsp giardiniera, drained
• Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley and dried oregano, then set aside and keep warm.
2. Trim excess fat from the chicken breast and pound to 1/4 inch thickness with a meat mallet. Set up a breading station with flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in another, and seasoned bread crumbs in a third.
3. Coat the chicken breast in flour, dip in the beaten egg, and then coat thoroughly with bread crumbs. Repeat for a second layer of coating. Set aside.
4. Heat neutral oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven to 375°F. Fry the breaded chicken breast until golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt.
5. Immediately dunk the fried chicken breast into the warm garlic butter mixture, coating both sides. Remove and allow excess butter to drain.
6. Slice the French roll or bread in half lengthwise. Spread mayonnaise on both sides of the bread.
7. Place the chicken on the bottom half of the roll. Top with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, thinly sliced onions, and giardiniera.
8. Close the sandwich, slice in half, and serve immediately. Crush!

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