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| Maid Rite Cafe in Eddyville, Iowa in 2016 |
Maid Rites
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS
Crumble ground beef into a hot skillet; sprinkle with the onion powder. Cook over medium high heat stirring to break up the meat into small crumbles (they should be very fine). When brown add the broth, salt and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve on buns with mustard and chopped onion, add ketchup if you like and dill pickles.
*I used a potato masher to get them really fine.
This can be made up ahead of time and reheated when ready to use. I froze the ones I made in the buns to be reheated later.
When we were square dancing, we had friends in Iowa and would travel there for square dances. They would serve these sandwiches for lunch break. We actually had a restaurant open here in Phoenix serving these, but unfortunately it did't last very long. Actually My very, very favorite Iowa meal was always the pork tenderloin. Oh yes.
ReplyDeleteOH, yes, The Iowa Pork Tenderloin is the favorite of a lot of Iowans. You might have to try the Maid Rites to see if they are like what you remember.
DeleteLiving in Iowa my whole life I didn't realize til adulthood that Maid Rites were an "Iowa thing". The town I grew up near served them every week during their summer night in the park, as well at all ball games, church ice cream socials, etc.
ReplyDeleteI really do think they are mostly an Iowan thing. I don't remember ever having them in Minnesota where Sue and I grew up.
DeleteThere was a restaurant in Owatonna Minnesota that served only them, don’t know if it’s still there
DeleteNothing holding them together? They must be messy. Love your blog and read it every day. Cole slaw to freeze? Yay!
ReplyDeleteCarol, Yes, nothing holding them together and they are messy. Guess you have to be an Iowan to eat them?
DeleteMyrna, I so agree; gotta be an Iowan to have enjoyed these. Basically grew up eating these.
DeleteMessy...........Yes; but Oh, So Good.
Want alittle heat, add some hot sauce or maybe even some candied Jalapenos to the meat mixture like our son-in-law does.
I always like to have some of this meat mixture in the freezer; something to have in a last minute thing if need be.
Now the idea of hot sauce sounds good. Bettie adds ketchup, mustard and onion to hers. Frozen sure makes them a last minute thing.
DeleteI have lived in Iowa my whole life, love Maid Rites! I believe they were started in a Marshalltown? They were served with mustard and pickle...you had to ask for ketchup! And served with a spoon of course to get all the bits ! Not sure of all the recipes going around, which one is the real thing ; trying them out-and eating at the Maid Rite!
DeleteThe Tenderloins are as good, but you must know where to go to get good ones, so if you're new here, ask around.......Iowa Pork is the secret!
Since I don't eat them I don't know for sure, but Bettie who is a fan of Maid Rites thinks these are very close. Of course you have to supply the pickle and mustard. Now tenderloins are a different matter!
Deletetwo things I'd like to say.....First, yes, they are messy, so I serve mine with a spoon..... and second, once you introduce catchup, it becomes a Sloppy Joe.......... My opinions anyway ;)
DeleteIt's the chicken broth! There is still a Maid Rite in our county seat town here in Southeast Iowa...they compete very successfully against a bunch of more well known fast food and pizza joints...they also have the best pork tenderloin sandwiches in town, also served in several restaurants...I'd say they are also mostly a Midwestern menu item.
DeleteI'm a bit late to the game on this one but knew your site would have such a recipe. This is indeed the correct recipe; I've made it before but couldn't find my original printed recipe. It's the chicken broth that makes it a bit special. Interestingly, Maid Rites were invented in Quincy, IL at about the same time the Juicyburger was developed in Moberly, MO. I've since learned that in the late 40s and early 50s a number of independent restaurants in the U.S. came up with such a sandwich. The juicyburger is the same recipe, but with some ketchup and mustard added in. That makes it closer to a sloppy joe, but I like both those and Maid Rites. There are still several locations in Iowa, and some are near I-80.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside (now that Roseanne has a new show coming on TV), it was Roseanne's sister Jackie, a trucker, who brought the "loose meat" sandwich back from Iowa. Roseanne's restaurant serving the sandwiches was where they lived in "Lanford, Illinois." They couldn't legally use the term "Maid Rites." On the show, though, they made a lot of jokes about it being greasy etc. But it's actually not. It is a mess to eat though!
Hey Chuck, Thanks for the extra info. I to like sloppy Joes better than Maid Rites but Maid Rites are just not something I eat. Too bland I guess for me but there are sure a lot of people who do eat and like them. Bettie says you are right it is the chicken broth that makes this the correct recipe.
DeleteMaid Rites are DELICIOUS. Not simply an acquired taste.....brought family & friends to visit my family in Iowa and they all ate til they were Thanksgiving Dinner Full and wanted to go back the next day. We did go back twice during their visit! A new favorite! They all went home sporting maid rite t-shirts. I wish we had these restaurants in Georgia.......and somewhere here to get a great fried pork tenderloin sandwich. With some fresh crunchy lettuce and ketchup........I miss those too! Home.........sweet delicious home!
ReplyDeleteGLAD your friends liked Maid Rites. Are you going to try this recipe?
DeleteI made the recipe it last night for dinner........then today for lunch I used some of the leftover meat to make quesadillas (with cheese, flour tortillas and sour cream. That was really good too!
ReplyDeleteSparrow, Nice to hear you made them. The quesadillas sound good.
DeleteMy Mom made loose meat sandwiches when we were kids-we were raised in Michigan. Guess it's not just an 'Iowa' thing....
ReplyDeleteAnyway, still love them, even though I haven't had in ages. Looks like it's time to ,make again, and will use this recipe.
I am finding that other states have a version of MaidRites, just called something else. I sure don't remember ever seeing them in any restaurant In Minnesota though. Be sure to use the chicken broth broth as that is what makes them taste like a MaidRite.
DeleteMy grandfather owned a Maid-Rite in Ames,Ia. Wondering why the chicken broth instead of the beef broth my father uses?
DeleteI sure don't know, I would think the beef broth would be the logical choice but you could use either one.
DeleteI was at a restaurant in Owatonna Minnesota and got these, also there was one in Rochester Minnesota I have been to, don’t know if they are still there
DeleteI'm tempted to try to home can this recipe. I think it would lend itself well to canning except there would be little room for chicken broth as when canning hamburger most of the excess space is reserved for its own juices. Very cool and nostalgic blog post for me as I grew up in Iowa and maid rites were pretty much a staple food.
ReplyDeleteTry canning Home Canned Hamburger MIx with chicken broth instead of tomato or beef broth...it's already the right consistancy for Maid Rites and your hamburger is already cooked down.
DeleteHow many does this serve?
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't my recipe, but I would guess 6 to 8 regular size buns. If you have leftovers it freezes very well.
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