MaidRite Sammies

Plowboy · Jun 21, 2007

I don't know how many of you outside of Iowa know Maidrites... aka a Tavern or a loose meat. In my family, they've always been known as Loose Meats. You get them by different names in little diners and drive ins across the state. My wife had never heard of any of these nor had a loose meat sandwich. She's from Missouri.

There's a great little place in LeMar's, Iowa called Bob's Drive In. The cheese taverns are out of this world. Also an old diner in Marshaltown, IA.

Anyone have these delicacies in other parts of the country by other names?

Any Iowa boys have any good loose meat recipes to share?

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · Jun 21, 2007

It always amazes me that i drive right through places and am blind to local food specalities like these. I never heard of any of them or anything closely resembiling what you are describing.

I need to get out more.

KC_Bobby · Jun 21, 2007

I don't know the recipes, but when I was a pup I remember having maidrites pretty much every Saturday night during the non grilling season,

I think they were pretty much just ground hamburger with some salt, pepper and mustard mixed after it was browned. I'm sure I'm missing some stuff. I'll call mama and find out what she mixed in there.

When I lived in Wisconsin, they called these barbecues. Honest to god.

beam boys bbq · Jun 21, 2007

plow boy i married an iowa girl fort doge she makes them every once in a while i will have to find out what she does them

york

Plowboy · Jun 21, 2007

My aunt and grandmother make some really good batches of the stuff. I'll have to get the aunt's recipe. As Bobby said, its basically ground beef, salt and pepper. I don't know what else people put in them, but it ain't much. They are really addicting foodies!

KC_Bobby · Jun 21, 2007

beam boys bbq said:
plow boy i married an iowa girl fort doge she makes them every once in a while i will have to find out what she does them

york

I used to live about 15-20 minutes west of there from before I could ride a bike to second grade.

Papa Tom · Jun 21, 2007

In my Nebraska home town there were two places that had them both were good. (45-50 years ago) Neither place exists today.
The Quickie was served flattened with mustard and onion.
The Jiffyburger was served thick with a Thousand Island type sauce.

KC_Bobby · Jun 21, 2007

I loved loading mine with dill pickle slices and adding more mustard.

WineMaster · Jun 21, 2007

They sound, well, I gotta """""""Yum-OH""""""""""

WineMaster · Jun 21, 2007

Alot of Dairy Queens in Minnesota carry different Maid-Rites.

Plowboy · Jun 21, 2007

A little Wikipedia search says that the Maid-Rite was created in the early 1920's in Mascatine, IA (Eastern) and the Tavern, which is really just the same sandwich, was created in mid 30's in Sioux City, IA. I grew up around Sioux City, so that probably stands to reason why we never called them Maid-rites, but you hear that more outside of the Western part of the state.

They mention the old Tastee-In-and-Out drive ins. I remember the one on Hiway 20 in Sioux City as a kid. Still there.

motoeric · Jun 21, 2007

Are they similar to Sloppy-Joe's? Maybe without the ketchup base?

Eric

WineMaster · Jun 21, 2007

Like he said, The most famous ones are made with Salt, Pepper and Beef.
Simple and great tasting.

Plowboy · Jun 21, 2007

motoeric said:
Are they similar to Sloppy-Joe's? Maybe without the ketchup base?

Eric

Pretty much. Like a hamburger, but not formed into a patty. Seasoned ground beef on a bun.

Papa Tom · Jun 21, 2007

motoeric said:
Are they similar to Sloppy-Joe's? Maybe without the ketchup base?

Eric

Not really in that the are not loaded with sauce just seasoned loose meat with condiment toppings. I never had one that had any kind of tomato type topping.

Harbormaster · Jun 21, 2007

KC_Bobby said:
When I lived in Wisconsin, they called these barbecues. Honest to god.

You got it Bobby.
What y'all call sloppy joes, I grew up calling a barbeque.
My mom made 'em all different ways, but NEVER with manwich.
Ground beef, condensed tomato soup, salt, pepper, onion if my big brother wasn't around, whatever was available. Served on a hamburger bun with potato chips. When I got into high school, mom browned up a pound of burger, dumped in a can of pork and beans, added a little liquid smoke and we ate them like that. There are some folk here who make "barbeques" using a can of chicken noodle soup. I don't care for 'em that way.
They were a cheap quick meal for a fam that didn't have much. I guess they would be akin to the Maid-rite (never heard that until this thread) or loose meat sammie.

Forney · Jun 22, 2007

Hey Guys! This article has been hiding in my recipe file for a long time. I can't remember where I got it from...

There is a little restaurant in Greenville, Ohio (Darke County) called "Maid Rites." They have been in business FOREVER! They make a loose meat sandwich that people talk about for days after having one...or two or three. We have taken out-of-town friends there and turned them on to the unique taste of these sandwiches. I can still remember Mother preparing us for the various wads of gum stuck to the outside of the building left there by people waiting at the drive-through windows. All of these years later people STILL deposit their gum on the exterior walls of the restaurant! It's such a tradition now. Several years ago there was a major fire in the restaurant and we all held our collective breaths to see if they would rebuild/remodel/reopen and they did!!! Many years ago Mother was going through some old recipes and ran across one that she said her mother gave her for Maid Rite sandwiches. I have made them and with some time and the right amount of "pinches" of spices you can replicate the famous Maid Rite loose meat sandwiches. There are probably other little restaurants across the country that boast their recipe is the original...Here is the one we have.
1 ½ pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3-4 teaspoons prepared mustard
4 Tablespoons beer
red pepper to taste
black pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste
salt to taste
Brown & drain the hamburger. Stir in the other ingredients and simmer. Spices are added "to taste." The Maid Rite serves their sandwiches with a choice of cheese, mustard and chopped fresh onion. Bet ya' can't eat just one!

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · Jun 22, 2007

Found this streaming video showing Maid-Rites being made. Warning it streams really slowly, but is worth the wait if you wanna know about Loose Meat Sammies.

http://www.maid-rite.com/media/index.shtml#

Hummm, I wonder if you could smoke loose meat some way?

Azinine · Jun 22, 2007

HeSmellsLikeSmoke said:
Hummm, I wonder if you could smoke loose meat some way?

Just throw it on the top rack of the WSM!! Let me know how it turns out! :lol:

Papa Hogg · Jun 22, 2007

Make something similar, I use ground beef, 1 can of campbell's chicken gumbo soup, mustard, salt, pepper & some ketchup, I usually put a slice of american cheese on them as well. Whenever I make 'em my kids always tell me they are the best sammies they've ever had.

MaidRite Sammies

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