Here’s looking at jus

Nobody’s quite sure which local spot served the first commercial beef sandwich back during the Depression—maybe Al’s #1, maybe Carm’s BBQ. “They’re all from that same period,” says beef expert Pat Scala, whose family’s meat-packing business has been supplying the raw ingredients for the city’s best beefs since 1925. There’s more consensus, however, on which stand serves the best Italian beef now: Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park is the champion,  and since it’s also famous for short-tempered countermen, we’ve provided a lexicon of beef to help you place your order:

Combo
An Italian beef sandwich with a grilled sausage in the middle: the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of the Italian beef world.

Jus (pronounced “zhü”)
It’s the natural by-product of wet-roasted beef, drippings usually fortified with garlic, dried spices and a little broth.

Sweet, hot, mild
Your choice of simmered green peppers, or spicy or mild pickled giardinera. We recommend being bold and going for both.

Wet, juicy, soaked
A “wet” beef has a little jus spooned over the top; a “juicy” beef is dunked; a “soaked” beef is guaranteed to end up in your lap.

Practice your lingo with a standard order—“Gimme a juicy combo, with sweet and hot, and a small lemon ice”—and take it to Johnnie’s, or our other recommended spots.

Top five spots for Italian beef

1.Johnnie’s  7500 W North Ave, Elmwood Park (708-452-6000).   The constant line around this cinder-block shack guarantees rapid beef turnover: You always get a sandwich at its peak potential. Bonus: The lemon ice is the perfect foil to a perfect sandwich.

2.Carm’s Beef Original  1801 S Wolf Rd, Hillside (708-449-0125).  Co-owners Michael and Joseph Nebren still follow their grandfather’s recipe with delicious results: Rich jus flecked with spices, tender beef and better-than-average bread make this sammie a winner.

3.Al’s #1 Italian Beef  1079 W Taylor St (312-226-4017).  Skip the franchises—the original on Taylor is the best. Al’s serves a greasy masterpiece with rich, crumbling beefy debris; spicy jus; and excellent hot peppers.

4. Patio  1503 W Taylor St (312-829-0454).  Patio’s jus comes close to Al’s in beefy richness, but the meat itself—classic medium-rare roast beef—makes this sandwich stand apart.

5. Max’s Italian Beef5754 N Western Ave (773-989-8200).  Max’s squeezes into our top five on the strength of its jus—bright red with paprika—and the plastic tubs of fiery giardinera that dot each table.

Plus:

The ’wich is back: Fast, easy, and—by definition—cheap, sandwiches are the ultimate bargain eats. We think our favorites (listed here in no particular order) are the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Saga of the sandwich: A brief history of the Earl’s famous invention.