Nuways A/K/A Maid-Rites Recipe - Food.com (2024)

27

Community Pick

Submitted by Claire de Luna

"If you're anywhere from the midwest, you will be familiar with these "loose meat" sandwiches. I spent years looking for a recipe that duplicates what I remember eating while growing up. After much experimenting, my sisters and I finally declare this recipe as IT. I hope you think so too! UPDATE: I spent an afternoon with my Mom at the original Nuway location down on East Douglas in Wichita, KS and was able to refine the recipe a bit more after talking to someone who had worked there for years. I've adjusted the recipe to reflect the information I was given, to be more precise. I found they cook the meat at a high heat in a cast iron cooker, then hold it at around 200 degrees to serve the lunch crowd. I was told there is no seasoning in the meat, but that all the flavor is what is on the bun. I made these again to test that theory, and realized the dill pickles are salty enough that you don't need any extra seasoning. I orginally had counted the "holding" time and realized this actually only takes minutes to cook. Sometimes the best things are ultimately simple! These are the Real Deal."

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Ready In:
20mins

Ingredients:
6
Serves:

4

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ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 lb 80% lean ground beef
  • 12 large white onion (finely chopped)
  • French's mustard
  • dill pickle
  • American cheese, slices

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directions

  • Pour water into a cast iron pan.
  • Add l lb. ground beef and keep stirring until meat is broken into very small pieces.
  • Bring to a boil and cook until water is reduced by half. (What happens is the beef browns, breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces, and becomes tender, while the water reduces and packs in the flavor. The fat is left in the water, not on the beef, while the beef is juicy.).
  • Ready the buns with French’s mustard, and a large dill pickle slice, Dice an onion and pull out a slice of American cheese.
  • Dip a 1/2 cup strainer into the beef mixture, push the liquid through it with a spoon to the desired "juiciness". Fry separately in a cast iron skillet for a few minutes, until the beef is lightly browned. Salt the meat; add the diced onions and cheese. Put the buns together and cut in two pieces.
  • Cover the hot sandwich (with a deep lid or bowl, or wrap in waxed paper) for a couple of minutes to steam the bun and allow the cheese to melt.
  • Serve immediately with a cold root beer, and blast your way to the past!

Questions & Replies

Nuways A/K/A Maid-Rites Recipe - Food.com (9)

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Reviews

  1. Very good!! The meat was very flavorful. I didn't have any dry mustard, so I substitudes yellow mustard. I was a little hesistant, because I'm not a big mustard fan. It didn't have a strong mustard taste to it. I didn't use the french mustard on my bun, but again, that is because I'm not big into mustard, I used mayo instead. Other than those two sustitutions, I followed the recipe to the T. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!!!

    Sidd9260

  2. YUM!!! My DH and I love NuWays and so I couldn't wait to try this recipe! It was GREAT! After the first bite, DH said "This is a NuWay!" It really does taste EXACTLY like the NuWays! I followed the recipe exactly; the seasonings are the key. My DH added ketchup to his, which he always does at NuWay. This is a WINNER!!! Thanks for posting!!!!

    PugsAndKisses

  3. This sounds great! We live in Iowa and have maid-rites all of the time! The one ingredient we add to make it taste more like the Maid-Rites is chicken broth and then let it boil--this gives it great flavor!

  4. Very authentic recipe! I remember Maid-Rites in Rockford, Illinois, and this recipe is for real! The steaming IS the important part, and the mustard is the definitive condiment!

    EdsGirlAngie

  5. My mother had come to visit me from New Hampshire earlier this year in Jan '03. I live in Kansas. I brought her to have her very first Nu-way. She loved them and said that their root beer is the very best she had EVER tasted. I sent her this recipe, she made it and said it tasted exactly like the ones she had in the resteraunt. My BF wants to make them soon as he loves them too. Was so glad to see this posting! Thanks!

    Pooh Bear

see 22 more reviews

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Tweaks

  1. Very good!! The meat was very flavorful. I didn't have any dry mustard, so I substitudes yellow mustard. I was a little hesistant, because I'm not a big mustard fan. It didn't have a strong mustard taste to it. I didn't use the french mustard on my bun, but again, that is because I'm not big into mustard, I used mayo instead. Other than those two sustitutions, I followed the recipe to the T. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!!!

    Sidd9260

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Claire de Luna

United States

  • 7 Followers
  • 27 Recipes
  • 1 Tweak

The new kitchen is finally functional, and I'm cruising Recipezaar daily to see what I make! This site is one of the best for finding great recipes in a flash. I've been saving recipes to My Cookbook for quite a while and am looking forward to trying some new things while I get used to my appliances. I hope to be posting new reviews soon.

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Nuways A/K/A Maid-Rites Recipe  - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the original Maid-Rite? ›

History. Fred Angell was a butcher in Muscatine, Iowa, who combined a special cut and grind of meat with a selected set of spices and created the Maid-Rite sandwich, which is not a traditional hamburger. Rather, it is called a "loose meat" sandwich.

What do they call a sloppy joe in Iowa? ›

Most Iowans call them Maid-Rites. Another faction refers to them as Taverns. A contingent craves Canteens. And when the meat's cooked in a tomato sauce base, only then can you get away with dubbing it a Sloppy Joe. Stay in the know: Sign up to our free newsletter to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox.

What's the difference between a Maid-Rite and a sloppy joe? ›

While both are made with seasoned ground beef, Sloppy Joes feature a rich tomato-based sauce. The meat mixture is slightly sweet and often enjoyed without additional toppings. Loose meat sandwiches like Maid Rites, on the other hand, have no sauce at all.

What is the difference between a steamer and a sloppy joe? ›

Steamer Sandwich

These sandwiches are similar to Loose Meat, Sloppy Joe, or Beef Barbecue sandwiches in that the ground beef is cooked until it is smooth and moist. Steamers, in particular, are unique in that they have fewer ingredients than the above and have a distinctly smoother texture.

What is a fancy name for a sloppy joe? ›

Manwich, slush burger, yum yums, dynamite, spoonburgers, tavern sandwich; a Sloppy Joe can be called by many other names. The most well-known however is Manwich.

What sandwich is Iowa famous for? ›

“The Loosemeat Sandwich of Iowa is technically not a burger. It does however exhibit many burger-like characteristics so we consider it a member of the hamburger 'family'. True to its name, the loose meat sandwich is basically an unformed hamburger.

What do people in Wisconsin call sloppy joes? ›

How "hot tamale" became the name for sloppy Joes in these Wisconsin communities is so far a mystery. The name was solidified through decades of Sheboygan and Manitowoc school lunch menus, though "sloppy Joe" has come into use now.

Where did Made Right start? ›

Taylor's Maid-Rite History

In 1926, the Maid-Rite sandwich was born! Fred Angell started the concept in Muscatine, Iowa. Fred began to franchise his idea, selling the rights to Newton, Iowa in 1927 and Marshalltown, Iowa in 1928. Cliff Taylor purchased the 1928 franchise for the sum of $300.

Where did the loose meat sandwich come from? ›

Carroll Dietz of Missoula, Montana, created the precursor to the tavern sandwich in 1920, referred to as a "steamed hamburger." In 1926, Fred Angell began selling his version of the sandwich at the first Maid-Rite restaurant in Muscatine, Iowa, under the name "loose meat sandwich." The name "tavern" for the sandwich is ...

Is Maid-Rite a franchise? ›

Maid-Rite Corporation - Home of the Loose Meat Sandwich Restaurant Franchise.

How many calories in a Maid-Rite sandwich? ›

There are 415 calories in 1 sandwich (3.5 oz) of Maid-Rite Maid-Rite.

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