Do you remember sitting at the Woolworth’s Lunch Counter and enjoying a warm Steak-UMM sandwich? Montreal, where I come from, was the only place we could enjoy this. It wasn’t on the menu of any other restaurants I visited as a young person. As a result, it was a sought-after delight.
My girlfriend at the time (now my wife of over 40 years) and I devoured these sandwiches, and I soon learned to make them at home. This became even more necessary as Woolworth’s closed a few years later.
The original Steak-UMM frozen meat was sold locally for many years, and then it wasn’t. A year ago, I found that M&M Food Market sold almost the same product under their label in Canada. If you can get the original where you live, get that, but this recipe can be used with either interchangeably.
Steak-umm was invented in 1968 by food innovator Gene Gagliardi Jr., who wanted to create a more family-friendly sandwich steak product. Gagliardi’s process involved running tough cow meat through a meat grinder, extracting the protein to create a solid mass, and then freezing and slicing the meat. This resulted in a frozen tender product that could be sold and virtually eliminated the choking hazards of traditional Philly cheesesteaks. A friend suggested the name “Steak-umm” during a quail hunting trip, and the product was launched in 1975.
By 1980, Steak-umm was the #1 selling frozen meat product in the retailer’s freezers, according to Gagliardi. The brand’s success led to Heinz buying the company for $20 million that same year. Steak-umm became a household name, especially as an easy meal for latchkey kids in the 70s and 80s. The convenience and quick cooking time (30 seconds per side) made it a staple. As of 2006 the Steak-umm brand is owned by Quaker Maid Meats a family owned company based in Reading, PA.
Steak-umm has made its mark on American pop culture by appearing on TV shows like American Dad, The Goldbergs, and Saturday Night Live. In 1981 Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) from “A Christmas Story” appeared in a Steak-umm commercial, and it’s been in American cultural memory ever since. The brand has adapted to the modern times and has a viral persona on social media since 2017. Steak-umm is still popular today, especially on the US East Coast, where sales have increased 20% in the last few years. It’s still convenient and nostalgic and bridges the gap between generations of Americans.
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