Dec. 9, 2020

A couple of “Jersey boys” who made their way to South Dakota have started a food truck featuring “rippers” and “balls.”

The simple menu of Old Skool Jersey Rippers & Balls is a tribute to the northern New Jersey roots of owners Francisco Gajardo and his father-in-law, Ron LePree. Rippers are all-beef hot dogs fried in peanut oil until the skin rips open and served Italian style, and the balls are arancini, or fried rice balls, that originated in Sicily.

They’ll be serving lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today outside Julz Woodworking, Antiques and Thrift Store at 1801 W. 12th St.

Gajardo said he ended up in Sioux Falls when a friend convinced him to move here in 2015 to become a partner in Ode to Food & Drinks. He later managed The Blarney Stone and Roam Kitchen + Bar. LePree and his wife followed their daughter and son-in-law here a couple of years later so they could watch their grandchildren grow up.

The idea for a new business started with LaPree, who told Gajardo he was going to get a permit to sell hot dogs on the street and wanted his insight.

“Next thing you know, we’re really involved in conversation,” Gajardo said. “I got excited.”

They decided to take LaPree’s idea to the next level and bought a trailer.

“I said, ‘What can happen? Let’s do it.’ ”

For the menu, they decided to keep it simple and “do two things that we’re really good at.”

They grew up in different neighborhoods eating different styles of rippers, “so we took a little bit of things from this one, this from that one.”

In New Jersey, rippers are served in a pizza roll.

“You cut it in half like a pocket and stuff it,” Gajardo said. “We couldn’t get that bread here.”

They worked with Dar El Salam, a market on North Minnesota Avenue that makes pita bread, to create a denser version that wouldn’t fall apart.

The classic, or The I-talian, is a natural casing, all-beef hot dog with roasted potatoes, onion, peppers, ketchup and mustard. Customers also can build their own with their choice of toppings, and Gajardo and LaPree make four other specialty options: The Godfather, a ripper and a long pepper stuffed with salami and provolone; Luca Bratzi, a brat with spicy mustard; The Goomah, a ripper topped with mashed cherry peppers and mustard; and The Bambino, a wedge of ripper bread with the stuffed long pepper.

The Sicilian rice balls start with a creamy risotto that’s mixed with ground beef, peas, marinara, mozzarella and Parmasan. They’re breaded and fried in peanut oil. An order includes two balls served with marinara or crema for dipping. Gajardo’s crema is “a ranch base jazzed up with citrus, parsley and spices.”

Old Skool Jersey will run as much as possible through the winter, Gajardo said.

“The goal is to work all winter long to get people to know our culture, know our brand. … We’re going to try to hustle as much as we can and build relationships with people.”

Starting a food truck at the end of the traditional season will give the two men time to perfect their operation, he said.

“In the colder months, we’d like to offer our services for companies and individuals. We can fire up the truck, cook the food and deliver it hot with a little bit of Jersey charm.”

Old Skool Jersey uses its Facebook page to post locations, and Gajardo is working on a website for the business, so they can sell the Sicilian rice balls as a take-and-bake by the half-dozen or dozen.

Next season, they plan to be out daily.

Photos by Rick Warkenthien