Medha Imam: Fresh rolls of French bread sliced down the middle, loaded with thinly sliced marinated beef that soaks into the bun, topped with piles of sweet peppers and giardiniera, all laid across the beef, soaked in a top-secret juice. It's this classic
combination of seasoned beef, peppers, and a mouthwatering gravy that makes the Italian beef sandwich a legend in Chicago. There are plenty of spots to get an Italian beef in Chicago, but Johnnie's in Elmwood Park is full of customers lining up to get their hands on its juicy sandwich as soon as the doors open at 11. Customer: I've been
here since high school. The flavor of Johnnie's beef is different than anywhere else. Customer: I've been in the
neighborhood almost 30 years. And I love their beef, and
it's No. 1 beef in town. Customer: There's no
other beef in the world that's better than Johnnie's. Medha: There are a few ways to order your beef from Johnnie's. If you ask for juicy, the entire sandwich gets dipped into a
container of beefy juices, making the bread soaking wet. If you ask for it dry, then no gravy. If you opt for dipped, then your meat is lightly
drenched in the juice. Customer: They dip the bun in the juice to make it even soggier. Customer: Probably need to
take a shower after this. This is awesome. Customer: I like it juicy. Good flavor and everything. Good. Medha: Johnnie's beef
starts off with roasting 300 pounds of a lean
and tough cut of beef, either top or round sirloin. To simultaneously marinate the beef and make its famous juice, a special spice mix is poured into the large vat of meat. Frank Stompanato: It's
a pretty simple process. Adding the seasoning to the meat, it's just gonna cook down. Medha: And what's in the spices? Frank: That's a secret. Medha: You can't tell us? Frank: No, no one knows this
but three people, maybe. Medha: I see a bit of oregano. Frank: That's it.
Medha: And hot peppers? Frank: Some things are better left unsaid. So now we're just gonna add water to it, and it'll start cooking. Medha: And who created the spice mix? Frank: Johnnie. Came
from his mother-in-law way back in the day. Medha: And then your son-in-law said the recipe's under lock and key, forever. Johnnie Arto: Forever. Frank: So that's a secret. Can't tell you. Lock and key. Customer: They won't give
nobody the seasoning. Frank: Well, that I can't disclose. It's in a lock and key
in a vault somewhere. That's a secret. Medha: Oh, so none of
the employees season it? Frank: Oh, absolutely not. Customer: They will never do that. They don't want nobody
to know their flavor. Frank: That's how secretive it is. Just the process is more
important than anything else. Every day, the same way. And we're ready to go. Medha: The meat cooks in
the gravy for a few hours until it's tender and well seasoned. It's cooled off in the fridge overnight to ensure easy slicing. The next morning, staff trim off the fat and bring over the slabs
to an automatic slicer. Frank: The meat is sliced very thin. As you can see, very thin. You don't wanna go too thick. OK? It's not a steak, it's a beef sandwich. You want thin, very thin meat that you can almost see through. Medha: Once a pan is filled to the brim with paper-thin slices of beef, it's either refrigerated or sent out to the front for assembly. Frank: There's 15 pounds in each pan. We cut 10, 12, 15 pans, depending. You know, the weekend gets even busier. Medha: The assembly of the sandwich starts off with French bread that's specially made for
Johnnie's from Turano Bakery, a local bread company in Chicago. It is long, narrow in
shape, and has a thin crust. Frank: French bread holds
our juice very well, with the sandwich, with the peppers. It doesn't make it fall apart. That is the authentic way
of making an Italian beef. Without good bread,
what's inside is nothing. It's just an Italian beef
sandwich, Johnnie-style. Spoon of gravy, sweet
peppers, right there. Medha: And what is the juice made out of? Frank: Can't tell you. Medha: No?
Frank: No. Secret seasoning. Medha: And then sweet
peppers, that's the usual. Frank: That's our usual, yep. Medha: What about hot
peppers, the giardiniera? Frank: Hot peppers giardiniera right here. It gives it a lot more flavor. I mean, the seasoning enough is spicy. That just makes it even better. We have our own recipe that somebody makes for us for our giardiniera. But the sweet peppers are
made in-house every day. Medha: And if you want juicy, do you dip the entire thing back in there? Frank: Dip the entire thing back in there. OK, now we're gonna go
to juicy beef sweet. Medha: Oh, my God. I'm salivating. This is beautiful. Frank: And there you go. There's a juicy beef sweet. Medha: And what do you prefer? Frank: That with hot peppers. Juicy beef sweet and hot peppers. The most common sandwich is a
juicy beef with sweet peppers. Customer: It's kind of
like the soup kitchen from "Seinfeld." You
have to be very specific. Jerry: Just follow the ordering procedure, and you will be fine. [audience laughing] George: Medium turkey chili. Customer: If you know
anything about a hot-dog stand or a beef stand in Chicago, you don't say the word ketchup. Medha: No, why not? Customer: 'Cause it just doesn't go. They'll give it to you on the side, but you shouldn't be asking for it. It's kind of an unspoken rule. Medha: What about cheese? Customer: Negative, no cheese. Frank: Cheese is not an authentic way of making a beef sandwich. It's gonna hide all the flavor
that we have in our juice, and you don't wanna do that. People love cheese, but you're not gonna find it at Johnnie's. Medha: Both the juicy and dry
varieties of Johnnie's beef have drawn tourists and celebrities into the quaint storefront since 1961. But it's the local community
and surrounding neighbors that keep the lines long and the orders coming through. Customer: I can smell it from my backyard, so it's pretty irresistible. Come and get it. Customer: The line gets
all the way out there on Saturdays and Fridays,
all the way down the alley. Customer: There's always a line, and I don't like waiting in line. This is the only line I'll wait in. Frank: It's an amazing
place, it really is. It really is nice to see people come in, see people all the time, regular basis. Their loyalty is nice, it really is. Medha: It is amazing that
you've memorized this recipe. And it's nowhere. Frank: It's not that difficult. Medha: Yeah but, I mean, then you have to show
up to work every day. Frank: Every day I have to be here. Medha: Wow!
Frank: Yes, yes. And if I'm not, I will
put it in the container like I did for you guys today. Medha: Right.
Frank: In advance. Medha: So you'd have to
kill me if I ever found out. Frank: Exactly.
[Medha laughs]
