February is Black History Month, and NBC Chicago's Food Guy is diving into a South Side sandwich created in the late sixties and still enjoyed today.
But he says few, if anyone on the North Side, will know about the “Sweet Steak" sandwich.
The “Sweet Steak” or “Steak Supreme” has its origins at a place called Taurus Flavors which opened in 1966. There is no denying it is a part of Chicago’s Black history. Think Italian beef meets Sloppy Joe, crossed with a Philly Cheesesteak. It’s big, it’s messy and it’s found only in a few places, mostly South
The clanging of dough scrapers, vigorously chopping up thinly sliced ribeye is a constant sound at any Sweet Steak purveyor. But sadly, the corner of 85th and Stony Island bears little trace of its origins. This is where Taurus Flavors made the sandwich famous. There’s still a small branch in Dolton, where it’s cash and carry out only, but the sandwich is more one-dimensional with its rings of jalapeño and mild sweet sauce. An excellent version adhering to tradition can be found at Fitchy’s Home of the Hoagy in south suburban Country Club Hills.
“This is traditionally a South Side thing,” said Gregory Rounds, co-owner of Fitchy’s Home of the Hoagy. “Grew up with Sweet Steaks all over the South Side.”
“…we got one steak sandwich, add hot peppers, extra cheese…”
Rounds’ wife, Lakeesha, runs the business with him. The sandwich begins with ribeye, but flavors are compounded by the addition of Worcestershire sauce, then seasonings including garlic salt, then their secret homemade sauce, made from seven ingredients, including sugar and tomato. Then there’s fresh garlic, and more fine chopping.
Topped with a few slices of white American cheese, then a Turano roll, which gets steamed a bit, before everything gets turned upside down, and it’s over to the garnishes, which guests get to customize. First, there’s “sweet."
“The green magic that’s on top of it is a combination of what’s called a pickle chip and bell pepper. It’s not relish,” said Rounds.
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Then “hot," which just means giardiniera. Sound familiar?
And then a bit more of the housemade sweet sauce. But don’t confuse the green garnish with the red sauce.
“For our language here, if we say ‘steak, no sweet,’ it’s going to get sauce, but it won’t get the sweet topping,” he said.
Rounds says he’s been eating the sandwich for about 40 years, and he’s proud to keep the tradition alive.
“Most people migrated from the South Side to the south suburbs. I just wanted to bring a little bit of the South Side out here to the ‘burbs,” he said.
There’s also the Original Home of the Hoagy in Morgan Park, on 111th Street, but that is also takeout only.
Here's where you can go:
Fitchy’s Home of the Hoagy
4285 167th St., Country Club Hills
708-991-7872
Taurus Flavors
770 E. 142nd St., Dolton
708-201-7950
Home of the Hoagy
1316 W. 111th St.
(773) 238-7171
