Spiedie

Spiedie

Chicken spiedie sandwich
Type	Sandwich
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Binghamton, New York
Created by	Camillo Iacovelli, Agostino Iacovelli, Peter Sharak
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Cubes of marinated chicken, pork, lamb, veal, venison or beef

The spiedie /ˈspidiˈ/ is a sandwich local to Binghamton in the central Southern Tier of New York State, and somewhat more broadly known and enjoyed throughout Central New York. A spiedie consists of cubes of chicken, pork, lamb, veal, venison or beef. The meat cubes are marinated overnight or longer (sometimes for as long as two weeks under a controlled environment) in a special marinade, then grilled on spits (if steel skewers are used, they are called "spiedie rods") over a charcoal pit.

The traditional method involves serving freshly prepared cubes of lamb, chicken, or beef on soft Italian bread, and occasionally drizzled with fresh marinade. However, it is common to find them served on a submarine roll, and chicken is now the meat of choice due to cost. The bread is used as an oven glove to grip the meat while the skewer is removed. Spiedie meat cubes can also be eaten straight off the skewer or can be served in salads, stir fries, and a number of other dishes. The marinade recipe varies, usually involving olive oil, vinegar, and a variety of Italian spices and fresh mint.

Spiedies have been celebrated at the Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally in Binghamton, New York every August since 1983. The annual event includes a spiedie cook-off in search of the best spiedie recipes.

Commercial marinades are available regionally and can be ordered from various internet websites for shipment throughout the world.

The term "spiedie" comes from the Italian spiedo meaning spit or spiedini referring to cubes or balls of meat cooked on a skewer. The regional dish in Abruzzo, Italy most closely resembling spiedie uses goat meat, lamb, chicken or beef on a skewer, and is known as spidducc'. Another regional dish from Sicily, zúzzu, consists of a gelatinous sausage made from the cartilage of pork and beef meat that is usually served cut into cubes.