In the
United States, many people are familiar with Philly cheese steaks, whether they
live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or not. But some believe that only true
Philadelphians can lay claim to making the city’s signature sandwich. Fair
enough—I respect that sentiment, and agree.
So this
recipe is simply a beefy, oniony, cheesy (provolone, not Chees Whiz) sandwich
made in Philly cheese steak style.
Except for the bread. I’m sure purists will scow at the use of a Mexican roll
called “bolillo.” But I think it’s perfect for the sandwiches—soft on the
inside, not as crunchy as a baguette on the outside, and oval shaped to hold
all that hot, gooey goodness inside. If you can’t find bolillo, a baguette will
work, as will hoagie or Italian rolls.
|
Bolillo Rolls |
Key to preparing the sandwiches: Make sure the beef slices are
ultra thin. If you don’t have a butcher to slice or shave the steaks for you,
don’t worry—you can do it yourself at home. Freeze the steaks to the point of
semi-hardness, firm but still sliceable. Use a very sharp knife to carefully
cut the beef into thin pieces, about 1/10-inch thick. The thinness not only
means the meat cooks superfast, but it’s also easy to shove around on the
griddle and pile up for the onion, pepper, and cheese topping.
|
Slice the Steaks Ultra Thin |
A flattop
or cast-iron griddle is great for searing the meat and vegetables. If you don’t
have one, use a large, cast-iron skillet. (You may need to work in two
batches.)
Serves 4
Ingredients
- olive oil,
for brushing
- 2 medium
onions, cut into thin vertical strips
- 1 large
green bell pepper, cut into thin 1-inch strips
- sea salt
- freshly
ground black pepper
- 2 8-oz
sirloin steaks, cut into ultra-thin slices, about 2 inches long
- 2 cups
shredded provolone cheese
- 4 bolillo
rolls (or other 6-inch rolls), partially sliced lengthwise (like a hotdog bun),
not cut through
- dill pickle
spears, for serving
|
Onions and Pepper Ready to Cook |
|
Beef Sirloin Steaks |
|
Thinly Sliced Steaks |
Preparation
- Heat a
cast-iron griddle over 2 stovetop burners on high heat. Brush generously with
oil and scatter the onions and bell pepper in the pan. Season with salt and
pepper. Use a spatula to move the vegetables around and turn occasionally until
just tender, 10 minutes.
|
Onions and Pepper Beginning to Cook |
|
Griddle-Seared Onions and Pepper |
- Remove the
vegetables to a plate or bowl and brush the griddle with more oil. Scatter the
beef slices in the pan and season with salt and pepper.
- Move the
beef around with the spatula until seared on the outside and just cooked
through, 3-4 minutes.
|
Beef Beginning to Cook |
|
Griddle-Seared Beef |
- Return the
onions and bell pepper to the griddle and stir with the beef. Shove the mixture
to the middle of the pan, piling into a long line down the center of the
griddle.
- Spread the
cheese all over the top. Use a long strip of aluminum foil to tent the
mixture until the cheese melts, 2-3 minutes.
|
Cheese-Smothered Beef Mixture |
|
Melted Cheese on the Beef Mixture |
To serve, use the spatula to scoop the beef, vegetables,
and cheese into the rolls. Cut each in half on the diagonal and place 2 halves
on each of 4 plates. Serve crunchy dill pickle spears alongside.
I'm seriously loving your blog. It is a gem discovered! About how long should I leave the beef in the freezer for it to be "firm?"
ReplyDeleteYour Fan,
Kim
Thanks so much, Kim --- really appreciate your interest in the blog. For the 8-oz steaks I used, I put them in the freezer for 20-25 minutes. It really depends on the thickness, so if your steaks are about 3/4-inch thick, 20-25 should be fine. If they're thicker, I would go 30 minutes. You just want the meat to be firm enough on the outside so that the knife blade will get a good start on cutting a thin slice.
DeleteHope this helps!
All the best,
Pam
I used 2 12oz steaks (family of 5) and left it in for 30 minutes. This has to be the best advice ever! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
DeleteSo glad it worked out --- thank YOU!
DeleteOK. Made this tonight and it was GREAT! Some changes I made only because it was more convenient: ribeye instead of sirloin, oaxaca cheese instead of provolone (my grocery store didn't have it already shredded), I also had left over aji amarillo paste from the Lomo Saltado recipe so I mixed that with mayo...holy moly it was divine. This was the first time I've attempted to make cheese steaks because I thought it was hard. Your recipe was so easy to follow, and made cooking so fun! Thank you!!!
ReplyDelete