Pittsburgh salad

{{Short description|Salad containing french fries}}

{{use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Pittsburgh salad

| image = File:Pittsburgh salad.jpg

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| country = United States

| region = Western Pennsylvania

| creator =

| course =

| type = Salad

| served =

| main_ingredient = Lettuce, french fries, ham, grilled steak, chicken or fish, cheese, Ranch dressing

| variations =

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A Pittsburgh salad is a layered salad, often composed of lettuce, vegetables, grilled meat, shredded cheese, ranch dressing, and most notably, french fries.{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Shannon |date=2016-07-28 |title=Highly Recommended: The Pittsburgh Salad |url=https://www.eater.com/2016/7/28/12299342/the-pittsburgh-salad-french-fries |access-date=2020-12-18 |website=Eater}}{{Cite web |last=Palumbo |first=Danny |date=2019-01-20 |title=Pittsburgh salads prove you can put fries on absolutely anything |url=https://thetakeout.com/pittsburgh-salad-french-fries-1831592099 |access-date=2020-12-24 |website=The Takeout}}{{Cite book |last=King |first=Emily |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_gqDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT42 |title=Moon Pittsburgh |publisher=Avalon Publishing |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-63121-556-8 |series=Moon Travel Guide |page=42 |access-date=2020-12-24}} It is a regional dish from the Western Pennsylvania area, although it can be seen in other places around the United States.{{Cite web |last=Salaky |first=Kristin |date=2020-09-15 |title=Why All Salads Should Have French Fries On Them |url=https://www.delish.com/food-news/a28763887/french-fries-on-salad/ |access-date=2020-12-24 |website=Delish}}

The salad is customizable in terms of the quality of the ingredients. The fries themselves can be curly, waffle, or shoestring. The fries add warmth, texture, saltiness, and bulk to the salad.

In Pittsburgh, it was not historically referred to as a “Pittsburgh salad”. It is often on menus as "steak salad" or "chicken salad". Pamela's Diner, Whitfield, and Eat'n Park are local restaurants that serve or have served this dish.

File:Pittsburgh salmon salad.jpg

The origin is not known, but one story involves Jerry's Curb Service in Beaver, Pennsylvania. Legend has it that one night in the early 1960s, a customer ordered a steak sandwich without the bun but with added fries and salad dressing. Donna Reed, Jerry's wife, made another similar version on lettuce. Hilltop Grill in Rochester, Pennsylvania also claims to be the salad's creator.{{Cite web |last=Grey |first=Sarah |date=2016-03-07 |title=Pittsburgh Rare: A Culinary History of the Steel City |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/03/pittsburgh-culinary-history.html |access-date=2020-12-24 |website=Serious Eats}}

Similar to the Pittsburgh salad, the Pittsburgh-style sandwich contains meat, cheese, and fries. However, the salad is more manageable to eat and less heavy.