This is one American sandwich you need in your life

There isn’t much to say about this easy Philly cheesesteak sandwich, except make it.

  • SERVES: 4
  • PREP TIME: 5 mins
  • COOK ING TIME: 5mins
  • DIFFICULTY: easy
  • IDEAL FOR: snack, lunch, naughty meal, BBQ

What is a Philly cheesesteak?

In a few words, it’s an epic meaty-cheesy sandwich.

The Philly cheesesteak is made with very thinly sliced ribeye steak, caramelized onion, garlic and provolone cheese.

It’s simple and one of America’s classic street foods.

Its original combo is from the East Coast.

But it’s also on the West Coast slightly modified with bell peppers and mushrooms.

The original Philly

Obviously, you can adapt, tweak and go left-field with your Philly.

But the true Philly is made with simple ingredients; steak, onion and cheese served over a roll.

And the usual steak to cook with is tender, flavoursome ribeye steak with melted, gooey provolone cheese and caramelised onions.

But the key to the Philly cheesesteak (apparently), is the garlic.

So, don’t leave the garlic out.

A Philly cheesesteak sandwich is a pure joy to eat

The Philly cheesesteak origin

I always enjoy finding out the origin of food and the history behind it.

A lot of the time, it’s incredibly vague.

And often there are different versions of how we got to the food we have today.

But I think this time, it’s a bit more straightforward.

As the story goes, the classic sandwich came to be when a Philadelphia hot dog stand owner, Pat Olivieri, decided he was sick of having one of his hotdogs for lunch.

So, he went to his local butcher, bought some beef, cooked it on his grill.

And popped it into a hot dog roll.

The next minute a cab driver drove past, got the smell of this glorious sandwich and asked for one.

So, that was the beginning of the Philly cheesesteak.

And thank goodness it happened.

Because I love a hotdog too.

But I’ll lay my cards on the table and say, that a Philly cheesesteak is the next level.

The key to a good Philly cheesesteak

Beef

Ribeye is the steak of choice for Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches.

This is because it’s tender and has loads of marbling giving it an incredible flavour.

Now, rib-eye isn’t cheap.

But the good news with this, is you’re cutting a piece into very thin slices.

So, it goes far.

But you can use cheaper cuts.

In fact, I did use a cheaper cut, flank steak.

It’s lean but very tender when cut against the grain.

Cheese

Provolone.

But again, you can adapt this.

I used gouda and it was very tasty.

Just make sure, your cheese is one that melts and goes nice and gooey.

That’s key.

Hoagie

An American name.

In fact, it might even be East Coast.

But either way, it’s essentially a roll with a split down the middle, loaded with different fillings.

I would suggest you look for really good rolls, something a bit buttery.

Don’t just grab something cheap and nasty from the supermarket aisle.

A fresh, roll will elevate your Philly.

How to make Philly cheesesteak

It couldn’t be easier.

Ingredients

  • 250 g beef, thinly sliced – ribeye or flank are good choices
  • 4 x bread rolls, cut down the top middle (don’t go completely through the roll – good quality (buttery)
  • 1 x onion, chopped
  • 100 g provolone (or similar) cheese, sliced thinly

Method

  1. In a frying pan, add a glug of oil and saute the onions for 5 – 7mins
  2. Move the onions to the side and add the beef strips, (season if you need to) and cook for a few mins
  3. Add the sliced cheese on top of the beef and onions until it starts to melt
  4. Serve by piling the filling into each roll

Philly cheesesteak fun facts

According to the Philly Style mag, these are the 8 best Philly cheesesteak joints:

  1. Angelo’s Pizzeria
  2. Barclay Prime
  3. Del Frisco’s
  4. Jim’s Steaks
  5. Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
  6. Geno’s steaks
  7. Pat’s King of Steaks
  8. Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop

Die-hard cheesesteak fans say adding peppers, mushrooms etc is not considered authentic.

And I have to say, I just don’t think you need to add anything other than the original.

When you order a Philly cheesesteak in a local joint, there is a way of doing it.

You skip all unnecessary words and even some letters.

So, for example:

  • “Steak prov wit out” for one with provolone cheese and no fried onions.
  • “Steak wiz wit” for one with cheese whiz and fried onions.

Whatever you do.

Just try one. Homemade or if you’re in Philly.

Reference: Natasha’s Kitchen