Cheesesteaks Made Easy

You can toast your bun if you don’t think it will hold up to your content. But I try to find freshly made buns. They seem to work better than processed ones.

Pat’s vs. Geno’s is the universal argument when you talk about cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. I vote for neither, particularly when I can make them at home so easily. The trick is finding good meat, season it well, and let your diners top them off with whatever they want. Mine will have onions, mushrooms, and hot peppers, if available. This recipe makes two, but it is very scalable.

SOFTWARE

·         1# skirt steak, trimmed of fat

·         2 sub rolls

·         2 T olive oil

·         1/2 t. kosher salt

·         1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

·         4 slices of provolone cheese

METHOD

1.      Put the meat in the freezer for about an hour. This will make cutting it into thin strips so much easier.

2.      Once chilled, slice the meat very thin against the grain. If you have access to a deli slicer, make the cuts as thin as possible.

3.      Place the meat in a medium bowl and toss with the salt and pepper.

4.      Using a griddle or cast-iron skillet, heat the surface to medium high.

5.      Make two puddles of olive oil on the griddle.

6.      Separate the meat into two piles.

7.      Place each pile on the warming oil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then flip the meat pile to cook the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes.

8.      Arrange the meat in a cylindrical pile (big enough for the sub roll). Place two slices of cheese on top of the meat.

9.      Split the sub roll lengthwise, and place it open on top of the cheese.

10.  Once the cheese has melted, use a wide spatula to scoop the meat and cheese into the bun while simultaneously flipping the bun over. It isn’t as hard as you think.

11.  Add whatever toppings you want. Serve hot.

12.  Enjoy

VARIANTS

No, I don’t use whiz. Yes, you can do it. The great thing about cheesesteaks is there is no wrong way to have one. If you want onions, peppers, mushrooms, different cheese, go for it. The only constants should be flavorful meat and a solid roll. After that, go nuts.