Cookbook Challenge #2: Feasting on Asphalt

My next Cookbook Challenge brought me to a book that was a Christmas gift from my folks a few years back (thanks, Mom & Dad!), "Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run."

Road tripping with Alton

"Feasting on Asphalt" was one of my favorite things that the Food Network has ever done.  A few years ago, they did two separate documentaries featuring Alton Brown and his cronies riding motorcycles across the country.  They avoided Interstate travel, purposefully seeking out the "off the beaten path" highways and byways in search of America's road food.  (There was also a "Feasting on Waves" miniseries that followed a similar concept, only using boats in the Caribbean, although I wasn't as enamored with that - I preferred the road trips in the good 'ol U.S. of A - I'm rambling).  In any case, I wish "Feasting on Asphalt" was a permanent series.

This book accompanied the second documentary where they did a "river run," taking their motorcycles and following the Mississippi River from Louisiana all the way to my home state of Minnesota.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "cookbook," as it is more of a travelogue featuring tales from their road trip.  But there are several recipes scattered throughout, featuring some of their finds and road-inspired cuisine.

The recipe I chose to make was the "loose meat" sandwich, which was really popularized by Maid-Rite.  Think of it as a sauceless sloppy joe meets a crumbled hamburger - seasoned, crumbled ground beef that is steamed and served on a bun.  Because of the association with the franchise, you will often hear the sandwiches generically referred to as "Maid-Rites," and you will also occasionally see them called "taverns." 

"Alton, tell us about Maid-Rites..."

While there are Maid-Rite franchises in a number of states, primarily in the Midwest (including a handful in Minnesota), these loose meat sandwiches are perhaps most well-known in Iowa where the franchise started in 1926.  I have eaten at a Maid-Rite a couple of times before (most recently in 2006 in Iowa).  But I haven't made them for myself, so I thought I would take Alton's recipe for a spin.

"Maid-Rite," complete with pickles, onions, mustard, and some optional cheese

The recipe is ultra simple.  Ground beef is cooked in a skillet with some really finely minced onion.  Yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt are your seasonings.  You add a little water to help steam the meat and keep things moist.  While the beef cooks, you pulverize it with a potato masher (the beef in loose meat sandwiches is crumbly to the point of being almost fluffy, so that is the texture you are going for).  Pile it onto a bun and chow down.  Traditional accompaniments include mustard, pickles, and onions, sometimes cheese, and the jury is still out on ketchup (some say yes, while traditionalists may scoff!).

"Maid-Rite" with a side of crinkle-cut fries!

Not exactly haute cuisine.  But hey,  it's road food, so what do you expect?  It tastes just like a crumbly burger.  The mustard adds a nice tangy element, and the Worcestershire boosts the beefy flavor of the sandwich.  I would recommend adding the cheeses, pickles, onions, and some extra mustard.  The sandwich would seem rather one-dimensional otherwise.  All things considered, I would probably prefer a burger; but the flavor is really good.  It is an interesting regional sandwich with a unique history.  And it is very quick and easy to make, so you can easily cook this up in a flash on a weeknight for a fast meal.

"Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run" is a fun book, filled with great stories of history, people, places, and the food Brown and crew encountered on their journey.  Truly, it makes you want to hit the open road yourself to seek out your own pieces of Americana.  It is also fun to see familiar local landmarks featured in the book.  I might have to make the "Swing Omelette" next...