The Portillo's cheesy Italian Beef is blasphemously delicious
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What is this mouth-watering abomination? Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
A new viral TikTok sensation has emerged and for Chicago purists, it's blasphemy.
At Portillo's, folks are ordering their Italian Beef topped with the cheese sauce usually reserved for fries.
- The actual order is a beef, dipped, with sweet and hot peppers with melted yellow cheese sauce.
- Sounds more like a cheesesteak than a Chicago beef doesn't it?
Context: Cheese on an Italian Beef is not new. It's usually a white cheese like mozzarella or provolone. According to Al's Beef, it's a very popular order.
Yes, but: It's not the way the sandwich gods intended. The real Chicago beef omits the cheese.
- When I ordered the sandwich, it took me a second to collect myself and ask for the dairy accessory. Surprisingly, the drive-thru clerk already knew what I was ordering thanks to the viral social media craze.
- She noted that several people have been ordering it daily.
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The verdict: It's so goooooood. The cheese is almost mixed in with the beef instead of just lying on top, giving it a much more cheesy, chewy, messy vibe.
Buyer beware: This sandwich is a gut buster.