Spiedies: They're everywhere in Binghamton, Endicott and the Southern Tier.
In Syracuse? Not so much, though they put in appearances at the New York State Fair, the Madison-Bouckville Antiques Fest and the occasional pizza parlor and sandwich shop menu. And bottled spiedie marinades (think Salamida) are widely available.
For those who've never had them -- or aren't from these parts -- spiedies are cubes of marinated and grilled meat (usually chicken, pork, lamb or beef) served on soft Italian bread. The idea is to use the bread like a mitt, to pull the freshly cooked meat off the skewer. At some stands and restaurants, spiedies are served on a sub roll, which tends to overpower the meat. Spiedie meat cubes can also be served minus the bread -- on top of a salad, for instance. The marinade recipe varies, but usually involves olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon and Italian herbs and spices.
As part of getting to know my grill a little better this summer, I decided to make spiedies one weekend. The recipe below is from Tom and Marti Macinski, owners of Standing Stone Vineyards in Hector (Seneca Lake East).
For those who've never had them -- or aren't from these parts -- spiedies are cubes of marinated and grilled meat (usually chicken, pork, lamb or beef) served on soft Italian bread. The idea is to use the bread like a mitt, to pull the freshly cooked meat off the skewer. At some stands and restaurants, spiedies are served on a sub roll, which tends to overpower the meat. Spiedie meat cubes can also be served minus the bread -- on top of a salad, for instance. The marinade recipe varies, but usually involves olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon and Italian herbs and spices.
As part of getting to know my grill a little better this summer, I decided to make spiedies one weekend. The recipe below is from Tom and Marti Macinski, owners of Standing Stone Vineyards in Hector (Seneca Lake East).
The Macinskis grew up in Binghamton, met and married in Binghamton and worked there before starting their winery 20 years ago. They LOVE the foods of their native Binghamton: Earlier this year, as part of their popular "Comfort Food'' series of wine and food pairings, they hosted "Binghamton Days'' -- with a menu that included spiedies, "City Chicken'' and salt potatoes.
Serve the Spiedies Binghamton-style: Grab a thick slice of fresh Italian bread in one hand and pull the meat off the skewer. Serve with salt potatoes and a green salad. Makes 6 servings.
Pork Spiedies
Adapted from a recipe from Standing Stone Vineyards, Hector
For the marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup dry Riesling or Chardonnay
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, boneless chicken breast or boneless lamb, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive bowl or heavy-duty, zip-top bag. Reserve a half cup of the marinade to use at serving time. Add the meat to the zip-top bag and combine well to coat each piece. Marinate meat overnight in the refrigerator.
Adapted from a recipe from Standing Stone Vineyards, Hector
For the marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup dry Riesling or Chardonnay
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, boneless chicken breast or boneless lamb, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive bowl or heavy-duty, zip-top bag. Reserve a half cup of the marinade to use at serving time. Add the meat to the zip-top bag and combine well to coat each piece. Marinate meat overnight in the refrigerator.
If using wooden skewers, immerse skewers in water, then place 6 to 8 chunks of meat on each skewer. Oil grill grates lightly and grill skewers on a hot grill, two to three minutes per side.
Serve the Spiedies Binghamton-style: Grab a thick slice of fresh Italian bread in one hand and pull the meat off the skewer. Serve with salt potatoes and a green salad. Makes 6 servings.
Wine pairing: Riesling or Pinot Noir.
Note: If the meat gets dry, brush on some of the reserved marinade before serving.
This is a sicilian dish it can be done in a cast iron skillet on top of the stove dredge the cubes in flour add some marinade to it for a nice sauce Bon Appetit
Posted by: Joseph Cennamo | 04/19/2020 at 05:27 PM
Hello — I’ve only used pork for this recipe and it didn’t turn out dry. Reserve some of the marinade to use when serving — that will help.
Posted by: Margaret @ Eat First | 02/09/2020 at 09:55 PM
Will the pork or beef be tough after grilling?
Posted by: Joseph Martone | 02/09/2020 at 12:49 PM