On the recommendation of folks with local knowledge, I first had spiedies (pronounced speed-eez) in Montrose, Pennsylvania at The Stables Restaurant. It is popular enough that supermarkets in the area carry several brands of of bottled spiedies sauce. Having had a pleasant spiedie experience, I brought a bottle home with me and proceeded to make some of my own. During grilling season I keep a jar in the refrigerator to help solve the “what am I going to make for dinner” conundrum. Our favorite is chicken served over a salad with a creamy dressing like ranch or pictured above, caesar. The leftovers make a nice sandwich with a garlicky mayonnaise and crisp lettuce.
Along the way I got curious as to how a vinegary, garlicky, herby mixture for cubed, skewered, grilled meat came to be called spiedies. Wikipedia informs me:that it originated in Endicott, New York (about an hour drive north of Montrose); just about any kind of meat gets spiedied, there is a Spiedie Fest in Binghamton, New York every August; it is usually served on a roll, and if metal skewers are used they are called “spiedie rods”. I tried the word in Google Translate and “detecting Italian”, it suggested “spiedi” – skewer in Italian. Which seems as good an explanation as any.
Spiedie Marinade
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon parsley flakes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, crushed
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 cup corn oil
Combine vinegar with everything but the oil. Toss with cubed meat and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or over night. Marinade keeps in the refrigerator in a sealed container almost indefinitely. Since everything tends to settle to the bottom, give it a good shake before using.
Yields 3/4 cup, enough for 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of meat.