Few People Remember This Freaky Sandwich That Can't Be Found In Illinois Anymore
By Elizabeth Crozier|Published August 14, 2018
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Elizabeth Crozier
Author
An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. With more than five years of writing experience, Elizabeth’s articles have been featured on several websites, and her poetry and short stories have been published in multiple literary journals.
This history lesson may not be for the faint of heart. It concerns the meatpacking industry and the less popular parts of an animal that were being used in order to not waste any of it. From this increase in extra organs came the fried brain sandwich, but you won’t find this weird meal in Illinois.
Whether you’ve had one of these sandwiches before or not, you’ll love hearing the history of how people in the Midwest started eating brains. Check it out:
Our story begins with East St. Louis and the Armour Meatpacking Plant that was an extension of the one in Chicago. In business during the late 1800s and early 1900s, this company helped create an industry that fueled Illinois' economy and put it on the map.
Though this old meatpacking plant was once a really cool place to explore, it was demolished in 2016 and is only remembered through pictures.
The way the brain sandwich came about is quite simple. Every animal that is slaughtered has organs and other innards that aren't used as meat. These leftover pieces are called offal when they are sold as food, and cooks in diners around the St. Louis area caught on that the brains were good for something.
A brain sandwich is cheap but apparently not the easiest thing to make. Cooks have to remove the membrane before battering and frying it. Most add mustard, onions, and pickles to mask any grotesque flavors.
If you haven't already figured it out, the reason this sandwich isn't sold in Illinois is that no one wants it. It's brains. If they have to hide the flavor of it, it's probably not worth eating for most people.
Many think this historic sandwich looks like a tenderloin, but a major difference is the thickness. Tenderloins are typically thin, but brains are just brains, and they are thick and meaty.
While the original brain sandwich was made with cow brains, due to mad cow disease, restaurants that serve them now use pig brains instead. That's more appetizing, right?
Again, no restaurant in Illinois will sell this unique and, frankly, disturbing sandwich. If you really want to try one, you'll have to check out restaurants in St. Louis and Evansville, Indiana. Good luck.
