Guinea Grinders

Every time I go to the Iowa State Fair I have to get a "Guinea Grinder". Guinea Grinders are basically 1/2 ground Italian sausage and 1/2 ground beef, cooked with a tomato sauce with spices, loaded into a small loaf of Italian bread, topped with mozzarella and baked in an oven or broiler until the cheese is melted.  They're damned good. 

In this politically correct age, it's no longer called a Guinea Grinder.  There are two stands that sit side by side to one another at the State Fair - Carl's Gizmo and the former Original Guinea Grinder, now called "Jennie Grinder" after the inventor of the sandwich. 

A little history on the Guinea Grinder.  It was reportedly invented in Des Moines over 60 years ago by Jennie DePhillips, who owned the Original Guinea Grinder restaurant in Urbandale.  Jennie died a few years ago, but her stand is still doing business at the fair each year.

In 1946 after he got out of the war, Carl Cardamon opened up his first eatery at the Iowa State Fair that featured Guinea Grinders.  But Jennie DePhillips had the copyright to the name "Guinea Grinder" so he had to call his sandwich something else.  He called it a "gizmo".  Carl died in 2001 and his daughter, Carla Wood, her husband and son run the Carl's Gizmo stand at the State Fair.

Since this was the 60th anniversary of Carl's Gizmo at the State Fair, the Des Moines Register recently ran an article that takes a more in-depth look at the history of Carl's.  You can read the article here.

I like the Gizmo's at Carl's better than the Jennie Grinder at Jennie's.  The sauce is more flavorful, the buns are better.   Also, Carl's offer up jalapeno pepper slices to put on the sandwich that gives it an extra kick.

Actually, Guinea Grinders are very easy to make.  The mother of an old girlfriend in Des Moines taught me how to make them years ago.  You take a pound of ground beef and a pound of Italian sausage, cook both on a stove top in a pan.  Drain the excess grease/water, and add 16 oz. of your favorite spaghetti sauce and a small can of tomato paste.  Add spices including chopped garlic, Italian seasonings and whole fennel seeds.  Let cook for an hour or so.  Place on a small sliced loaf of Italian bread or a Kaiser roll, put mozzarella on the top, and toast for about 3 to 5 minutes in a broiler oven and serve.  It's that easy. 

And as I said, you can zip them up a bit by adding jalapenos or hot pepperoncinis to the sandwich before it's toasted.  That's my favorite way to eat them.

Some people like to sautee up some onions and green peppers and add them to the meat sauce.  That's fine, too. 

Even though I haven't made any for a while, they are great to freeze and reheat in the microwave for lunch or a late night snack. 

But I'm torn in being politically correct and calling them Italian Sausage sandwiches (which they really aren't) or Guinea Grinders.  It's easy just to call them a "Grinder".

Comments

[raymond mathews]

guineagrinder is my all time favorite sand wich,but i can't afford it very often, thanks for the information about them.

[Mel ott]

I was a dj at KSO radio and frequented the ginnu grinder drive in I believe located on Hickman drive in des moines in the 60s back when loonies drive on had giant tenderloins