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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Cheese Steaks with Seared Pepper and Onions



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
  1. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

5 comments:

  1. 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?"

    Your Fan,
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 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.

      Hope this helps!

      All the best,
      Pam

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    2. 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!

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    3. So glad it worked out --- thank YOU!

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  2. OK. 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