The Mighty Pepper and Egg Sandwich

The pepper and egg sandwich was created by Italians who immigrated to Chicago in the late 19^th and early 20^th century. The owner of Fiore’s Delicatessen in the West Town/Ukrainian Village neighborhood claims that his establishment was the first to start selling the sandwich over 40 years ago. The sandwich was created out of the need for meat-free alternatives to Chicago standards like hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Chicago’s Italian-American community is largely Catholic, and since 1965 practicing Roman Catholics are required to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter. (Before 1965, Catholics were not allowed to eat meat on Fridays all year.) 

The pepper and egg sandwich is simple but extremely rich. Basically, you take French or Italian bread—the same kind that’s used in roast beef sandwiches—and add to it anywhere between about 3 to 6 eggs that have been scrambled with bell peppers. Some restaurants add giardiniera or cheese to the mix. Gio’s Café and Deli in Bridgeport has been known to sell a Sicilian version of the sandwich that includes diced potatoes. 

A Brief History of Giardiniera

Giardiniera is also a vital piece of Chicago culinary history. Giardiniera means “female gardener” or “mixed pickles” in Italian, and it refers to a mix of pickled vegetables—usually some combination of peppers, chiles, celery, carrots, cauliflower, and olives—submerged in oil. According to the Chicago Tribune, giardiniera originated in Italy as a way to preserve vegetables for the winter months, but it is immensely popular in Chicago, even to the point of being known as the city’s official condiment of choice (move over, ketchup). Giardiniera can provide a kick of heat and extra saltiness to any sandwich, including the pepper and egg.  

I’ve been seeing pepper and egg sandwiches advertised at many fast-food places across the metro area during Lent my whole life, but it wasn’t until several years ago that I finally got around to trying one. I thought it was going to be a smallish-sized sandwich with a single fried egg lightly sprinkled with black pepper---Lent is supposed to be a time for fasting and making personal sacrifices, after all. Instead, the gruff, yellowish white-haired man behind the counter at my local hot dog joint unceremoniously handed me with a sandwich that contained nearly a half-dozen eggs and almost one whole chopped-up green pepper. I pushed worries about my upcoming cholesterol test aside as I took part in this Chicago Lenten tradition, and didn’t even dare to look at an egg for a good week after finishing that sandwich.

Some restaurants and delis only serve pepper and egg sandwiches during Lent, while others have found them to be popular enough to serve year-round. Augustino’s Rock & Roll Deli & Grill features the sandwich as part of its all-day breakfast menu. Whatever time of day or year you eat this mighty sandwich, you can be sure that it’ll be packed with protein and Chicago-style ingenuity.

I recently tried to replicate the pepper-and-egg sandwich at home. I decided to use both green and red bell peppers to make it more colorful and spring-like. The recipe I came up with appears below. If you want to make it really authentic, use some Turano Italian or French bread and think fondly of Ron Turano, the former president and chairman of Turano Baking Company and member of the Italian Senate who passed away last December.

Pepper and Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

Italian or French bread

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

3 eggs

¼ of a red bell pepper

¼ of a green bell pepper

Black pepper to taste

Giardiniera (optional)

Directions:

Crack 2 full eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Crack the third egg, let only the egg white run into the bowl, and toss the yolk. (Hey, you have to draw the line somewhere, and I draw it at two egg yolks per sandwich.) Scramble the egg mixture lightly with a fork and set aside. Dice the red and green pepper.  

Heat up a skillet and melt the butter or margarine in it. Add the eggs and then the red and green pepper and cook until just before the eggs turn brown (or, if you’re like me, until they actually do turn brown).

Slice the Italian or French bread in half and place the egg mixture between the two slices. Add giardiniera and sprinkle black pepper on the eggs if you so desire. You're too skinny now, so mangia!

Sources: 

Kelly Bauer and Tanveer Ali, “Chicago’s Pepper and Egg Sandwiches Remain a Staple During Lent (and the Rest of the Year)” in Block Club Chicago (February 26, 2020), https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/02/26/chicagos-egg-and-pepper-sandwiches-remain-a-staple-during-lent-and-the-rest-of-the-year/.

Jeff Cioletti, “Why Confine Pepper and Egg Sandwich Season to Just 40 Days?” in The Takeout (April 18, 2019), https://thetakeout.com/chicago-lent-pepper-and-egg-sandwich-1834012051.

Jim Behymer, “Fridays in Lent: The Pepper and Egg Sandwich” in the Sandwich Tribunal (March 23, 2018), www.sandwichtribunal.com/2018/03/fridays-in-lent-the-pepper-and-egg-sandwich/.

Maureen O’Donnell, Renato ‘Ron’ Turano, Leader of Berwyn’s Turano Baking Co. Who Also Held Seat in Italy’s Senate, Dies at 79” in the Chicago Sun-Times (December 10, 2021), https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/12/10/22826035/renato-ron-turano-baking-italy-senate.

Nick Kindelsperger, "How Giardiniera Crossed an Ocean to Become America's Favorite Condiment" in the Chicago Tribune (May 19, 2017), www.chicagotribune.com/dining/craving/ct-giardiniera-chicago-history-food-0524-story.html.