Philly Cheesesteak

The story

The cheesesteak originated in Philadelphia in the 1930s, when Pat and Harry Olivieri began selling chopped steak sandwiches from a hot-dog stand. Cheese was added later, and rival shops helped turn the sandwich into a city institution. Pat’s, Geno’s and many neighbourhood shops now represent competing versions of the tradition. Its character comes from beef sliced thin enough to cook quickly on a flat-top griddle, mixed with melted cheese and packed into a soft but resilient roll. American cheese, provolone and Cheese Whiz each have dedicated supporters. The sandwich should be juicy without collapsing into a soggy mass. Ordering language is part of the Philadelphia experience: customers may specify the cheese and whether they want onions, often using shorthand such as “Whiz wit”. Cheesesteaks are eaten at lunch counters, late at night and at sporting events, and loyalty to a particular shop is strongly local.

Ingredients

• Cooking liquid
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• Dairy
• 80 gram provolone cheesethin slices
• 12.5 gram butterfor rolls
• Main
• 2 piece piece hoagie rollssplit but not cut through
• Protein
• 300 gram ribeye steakpart-freeze then slice paper-thin across the grain
• Seasoning
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• Vegetables
• 110 gram onionthinly sliced with the grain

Method

1. Slice the beef

   Freeze the ribeye for 25-30 minutes until firm, then slice paper-thin across the grain with a sharp knife.

   Look for: Slices should be thin enough to cook in seconds. Tip: Thin slicing is the key technique for a proper cheesesteak texture. Avoid: Do not cut with the grain or the steak will chew tough.

2. Cook the onions

   Cook thinly sliced onions in oil over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until soft and lightly golden.

   Look for: Onions should be sweet and floppy, not crisp. Tip: Slice with the grain so they keep some shape. Avoid: Do not char them hard; cheesesteak onions are usually soft.

3. Sear and chop

   Turn heat high, add beef in a thin layer and sear quickly. Chop lightly with a spatula, season, then fold onions through.

   Look for: The beef should brown in spots while staying juicy. Tip: A flat griddle or heavy frying pan works best. Avoid: Do not overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if needed.

4. Melt and load

   Lay provolone over the beef, cover for 1 minute to melt, then scoop into warm buttered rolls.

   Look for: The cheese should melt into the chopped beef. Tip: Warm the rolls so they bend around the filling. Avoid: Do not overfill with wet toppings or the roll collapses.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the upgraded serves-2 metric ingredient list; verify with a calculator before making health claims.