If you go to almost any hot dog stand in the Chicago area, chances are you will find the pizza puff listed among the sides. The pizza puff consists of a deep-fried flour tortilla filled with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and usually some type of meat and seasonings. The story of the pizza puff is one of multiculturalism and creativity, two things for which Chicago is well known.
The pizza puff was invented in 1976 by Warren Shabaz of the Iltaco Foods company, a supplier of tamales to Chicago hot dog stands. (Iltaco is a shortened version of “Illinois Tamale Company.”) The company was founded by Warren’s grandfather, Elisha Shabaz, an Assyrian immigrant who fled Iran around the turn of the twentieth century. Warren had been getting inquiries from hot dog stand owners about some sort of pizza product that would help them compete with the many pizzerias that were popping up all over the Chicago area. To meet this need, Warren decided to create something similar to a calzone that could be cooked in a hot dog stand’s deep fryer. After some trial and error, the pizza puff was born.
The main ingredient that distinguishes the pizza puff from a calzone or panzerotti is the Mexican flour tortilla. Warren was going for convenience here; using a tortilla was easier than using raw dough, and tortillas were widely available in Chicago. However, as the pizza puff became more popular, Iltaco’s tortilla supplier couldn’t keep up with the demand and Iltaco had to start making its own tortillas.
Iltaco still supplies frozen pizza puffs to Chicago-area hot dog stands and grocery stores nationwide. In addition to its original Italian sausage pizza puff, it also sells pepperoni, 4-cheese, beef, and deluxe pizza puffs. Iltaco also sells non-pizza puffs in flavors like ham and cheese, taco, gyro, and even sausage breakfast. I spotted a variety of frozen Iltaco puffs at Caputo's recently. Iltaco still sells tamales, too.
The pizza puff never surpassed pizza in terms of popularity, but it does have its rightfully owned place in Chicago fare and, according to the book Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites, tells an unlikely story of “the city’s fascinating immigrant and cultural history.” Besides, with a pizza puff, you can get your pizza fix in a neat, individually sized portion that you don’t have to share with anyone. Growing up, I used to get pizza puffs at Franksville on the Northwest Side. It was the perfect cheap meal for 13-year-old me.
*Based on a recipe from 12 Tomatoes
Makes 6 puffs
1 package 10-in. flour tortillas (burrito sized)
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 c. pecorino romano, shredded
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
Olive oil, for greasing the baking sheets and drizzling over puffs
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease two baking sheets with olive oil.
2. In a large pot, brown the Italian sausage on medium high heat.
3. Add the onion and bell pepper to the sausage and break up the sausage into fine crumbles with a wooden spoon.
4. After onions and peppers turn translucent, add in pepper flakes and garlic. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
5. Once the garlic smells fragrant, add tomato sauce and water. Reduce heat to medium and then low until mixture comes to a slow simmer.
6. Add in paprika, garlic, oregano and basil to the sauce. Let simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat, and season with romano. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed, and let mixture cool for 5-10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon mozzarella into the center of each tortilla and spoon 3/4 cup sausage mix. Mold filling into a rectangle, then evenly sprinkle each puff with more cubed mozzarella.
8. Fold tortilla around the rectangle starting with the large sides, like an envelope and then evenly fold ends one over the other. Place puffs folded side down onto a greased baking sheet while you repeat with the rest.
9. Drizzle olive oil over each puff and bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden. They will puff up in the oven.
Sources:
Monica Eng and David Hammond, Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites, 3 Fields Books (University of Illinois Press), 2023.
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