A Philly cheesesteak is about as close as you can get to the culinary pulse of the city. Decadent but simple, filling without being overwhelming, this sandwich — if done correctly — is so sublime that it becomes more than just a sandwich. Although Philadelphia natives may shun any combination of bread, steak, onions and cheese that doesn't involve the infamous cheez wiz, a great cheesesteak can be made with many great Italian cheeses. Read on and buckle up for one hearty sandwich.
Ingredients
Makes 2 cheese steaks.
- 1 lb. hanger steak, frozen, cut very thin
- 1 large onions, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
- 4 slices Provolone cheese or cheez wiz
- 2 or more hoagie rolls
Steps
Making a Cheesesteak with Real Cheese
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Take a partially-frozen hanger steak and cut it very thin. A thin cut of steak will cook very quickly and will let the different flavors — cheese, onions, peppers — intermingle, with your bread as the bed.
- You can cut the partially-frozen steak with a large, sharp chef's knife, or you can use a commercial meat slicer for easy preparation and uniform thickness. Most people won't have a meat slicer; a sharp knife will do just fine, even if it takes a bit longer.
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Briefly sauté onions and pepper over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. In a large skillet coated with a neutral oil, fry the onions and (if desired) peppers until both are translucent and barely browned on the edges. Stir occasional and salt as necessary. Remove and set aside when finished.Advertisement
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Coat the same skillet with enough oil and add thinly-cut steak. Allow the meat to brown without stirring or agitating. At a high enough heat — and depending on the thickness of the meat — this process should only take one or two minutes. Do not overcook.
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With two sharp spatulas, begin to chop steak into even thinner bits. Hold the steak with one spatula while you chop it with the other. Once the steak is chopped into smaller bits, turn it over to ensure that it's cooked on both sides. Cook for no longer than 30 seconds.
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Add onion and pepper to meat and assemble your steak in a long line roughly the size of your roll and cover with two slices of cheese. You are going to be placing your roll directly on top of the steak, so make sure that your mound of meat is roughly the size of the roll.
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Turn the heat off the skillet and begin to melt cheese, roughly 30 seconds.
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Place the opened hoagie roll over top of the meat and cheese, forming a "roof." What kind of hoagie roll should you choose? In the Tri-state area where cheesesteaks are king, Aversa, Amoroso, and Vilotti-Pisanelli are commonly used as hoagie rolls.
- If you can't find any of these brands, however, you can try making your own Italian roll or using French bread. French bread is a little crispier than what is usually used, and it's not ideal, but it won't fall apart easily and is a pretty substantial bread.
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Slip a spatula underneath the meat and flip the spatula and roll. The contents of your cheesesteak should fit nicely inside your roll.
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Enjoy.Advertisement
Making a Cheesesteak with Cheez Wiz
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Follow the same general process to cook the meat. Take semi-frozen steak and cut it thinly. Fry up onions and peppers and remove when ready, about 5 minutes. Start to cook the steak, chopping thoroughly with a sharp spatula when almost cooked. Mix your onions and peppers with your chopped steak.
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Line your hoagie roll with a generous portion of cheez wiz. You have two options here about how to heat up your roll and/or cheez wiz:
- Option 1: Toast your hoagie roll and then smother the hot bread with cheez wiz. This will give the bread a nice crispiness, but the cheez wiz won't stay hot as long.
- Option 2: Warm your cheez wiz in the microwave. Pick up melted cheese with a spatula and deposit on the roll.
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Scoop steak and onions into roll coated with cheez wiz.
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Enjoy.Advertisement
Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I use normal cheese?Community AnswerYou may use whatever type of cheese you like.
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QuestionWhere can I buy the meat to have it shipped to me?Community AnswerSearch online for meat providers like Omaha Steaks.
Tips
- You should get meat, toppings and cheese in every bite.Thanks
- Cheeses used vary. Provolone is just one example.Thanks
- Use fried onions and mushrooms. They're really good on a Philly.Thanks
References
About this article
To make a Philly cheesesteak, start by slicing a hanger steak thinly using a sharp knife. Then, sauté chopped green onions and peppers in a skillet with some oil until they're translucent, and set them aside. Next, add more oil to the skillet and cook the steak, using two sharp spatulas to break up the pieces of meat. Once the steak is done, add the peppers and onions back in and put two slices of provolone cheese on top. As the cheese starts to melt, place a split roll on top, slip a spatula under the meat, and flip the sandwich over. To learn how to make a cheesesteak using Cheez Wiz, read on!
