Strong Enough to Defend Chicago's Honor, Vienna Beef's 'Play Off Polish' Is Making Its Way to Miami this February

To celebrate our home team's upcoming big game appearance, Vienna Beef has created the "Play Off Polish" sandwich for sausage lovers -- and Chicago football fans -- nationwide.

Created by Vienna Beef hot dog chef and taste guru Mark Sobczak, the Play Off Polish can give football fans a true taste of Chicago cuisine. The sandwich features a Polish sausage grilled and served on a poppy seed bun with chili, cheddar cheese sauce, blue corn chips and diced onion. The cheddar cheese sauce and blue corn chips will remind you of your favorite team colors.

"This sandwich started locally in Chicago to rally fans during the earlier play off games," said Chef Sobczak. "We hope fans nationwide will enjoy it for the big game."

Whether you're watching the game in Miami or from your couch in Manhattan, the Play Off Polish can be made for parties and tailgating!

The Play Off Polish recipe: (makes 18 sandwiches)

* 3 packs of Vienna Beef 12oz jumbo Polish sausages, 6 to a pack

* 3 packs of poppy seed buns

* 64 oz of chili

* 2 jars of cheddar cheese sauce

* 1 bag of blue corn chips

* 1 chopped white onion

To make, grill the Polish sausage for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the chili. Place the grilled Polish sausage in a bun. Top off each sausage with 2oz. to 3oz. of chili, 1 teaspoon of diced onions, 2oz. of cheddar cheese sauce, and crumbled blue tortilla chips to your liking. Cooks can substitute shredded cheese for the cheddar cheese sauce, and the diced onions are optional. The recipe is available online at http://www.viennabeef.com, along with tips for making authentic Chicago-style hot dogs.

Now in its 114th year, Vienna Beef produces premium food items including hot dogs, Polish sausage, corned beef, Italian beef, pastrami, soups, and pickles. In 2006 Vienna Beef's hot dog was cited as "the country's best hot dog" by Gourmet Magazine, and the company was named the best corned beef purveyor in the world by the Rosengarten Report.

Note to media:

Vienna invites media to visit its test kitchens and manufacturing facility in Chicago, just a few miles from both downtown Chicago and Soldier Field. Get the behind the scenes story of the Chicago-Style Hot Dog. Contact Susan Stoga at 847-980-8773 or Donna Scherner at 847-980-8343. Interview opportunities include:

* Chef Mark preparing the "Play Off Polish" in the Vienna Beef Cafe.

* Vienna Beef's Sausage Miestress making Polish sausages in the factory.

* Vienna President/COO Howard Eirinberg about hot dog making and the classic Chicago-style hot dog.

Vienna Beef and its products are not affiliated in any way with the NFL or the Chicago Bears.