Open Faced Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups yellow bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (2-ounce) slices bread, toasted 3/4 pound
thinly sliced deli roast beef 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Prepare Cheese Sauce; keep warm.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add bell peppers and onion;
sauté 8 minutes or until tender.
Stir in vinegar, sugar, oregano, and garlic powder.
Preheat broiler.
Place the toast slices on a baking sheet.
Top each toast slice with 3 ounces roast beef, 6 tablespoons Cheese Sauce, and 3/4 cup bell pepper mixture.
Broil for 1 minute or until the sandwiches are thoroughly heated. Sprinkle the sandwiches with chopped parsley.

Yield
4 servings

Cheesesteak 101: A Primer On The Who, What, Where And Whiz Of Philly Cheesesteaks

What is a Cheesesteak? A cheesesteak is a long, crusty roll filled with thinly sliced sautéed ribeye beef and melted cheese. Generally, the cheese of choice is Cheez Whiz, but American and provolone are common substitutions. The art of cheesesteak preparation lies in the balance of flavors, textures and what is often referred to as the “drip” factor. Other toppings may include fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, ketchup and hot or sweet peppers. Some sandwich shops also offer a cheesesteak hoagie, a hybrid version that combines the cheesesteak with cold hoagie dressings like lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Cheesesteaks are fast, portable and readily available at steak shops, delis, food trucks, pizzerias and even some high-end restaurants throughout the region.

How to Order a Cheesesteak Cheesesteak consumption has its own etiquette. When ordering, there are two critical questions to answer: First, what kind of cheese do you want? (Whiz? Provolone? American?) Second, do you want onions? (“Whiz wit?”) The correct way to respond is “Wit” for “Yes, I would like Whiz and onions,” or “Widout” for “No, just the cheese.” Then, ask for any other toppings or condiments you desire. Be forewarned: Lines are long, patience is tested, and if you don’t have your order and money ready to go, you might be sent to the back of the queue.

Best Places to Find a Cheesesteak Nearly every pizza shop on any corner of every neighborhood in the city serves up the mouth-watering delicacy. Here are a few notable Center City and South Philadelphia spots

Center City:
Chic steakhouse Barclay Prime dishes out what is the city’s, and most likely, the world’s most expensive cheesesteak, gussying up the original template with ingredients like Kobe beef and truffles. 237 S. 18th Street, (215) 732-7560, www.starr-restaurant.com

More famous for its creative menu of hoagies, Campo’s Deli cooks up a respectable traditional cheesesteak, and they ship to other cities as well. 214 Market Street, (215) 923-1000, www.phillyhoagie.com

Jim’s Steaks has multiple locations, but the classic smell of fried onions wafting down South Street makes that location the most memorable. 400 South Street, (215) 928-1911, www.jimssteaks.com

Rick’s Philly Steaks is a third-generation spinoff of Pat’s, started by the “Prince of Steaks” Rick Olivieri, who brought his cheesesteak savvy to the Reading Terminal Market. 12th & Arch Streets, (215) 925-4320, www.rickssteaks.com

Founded in 2000, Sonny’s Famous Steaks offers a fresh, healthier take on the recipe, frying the meat in its own juices rather than in oil. 228 Market Street. (215) 629-5760, www.sonnysfamoussteaks.com

Tony Luke Jr.’s is the Center City version of the original, with steak and pork sandwiches promptly served up for a weekday lunch crowd. 118 S. 18th Street, (215) 568-4630
South Philadelphia

Cosmi’s Deli is a relative newcomer among the cheesesteak contenders, winning recent accolades from Philadelphia magazine. 1501 S. 8th Street, (215) 468-6093

It may be across the street from the oldest cheesesteak joint in town, but Geno’s Steaks is a formidable competitor going roll-for-roll with Pat’s for more than four decades. 1219 S. 9th Street, (215) 389-0659, www.genosteaks.com

A small shack amidst shopping plazas, John’s Roast Pork is frequently cited as one of the city’s top steak spots. Its secret weapon? A crusty seeded roll. 14 Snyder Avenue, (215) 463-1951

The original home of the cheesesteak, Pat’s King of Steaks is still owned and operated by the Olivieri family. 9th Street & Passyunk Avenue, (215) 468-1546, www.patskingofsteaks.com
Visit Shank’s and Evelyn’s luncheonette for a highly reputed cheesesteak and an old-school South Philly experience. 923 S. 10th Street, (215) 629-1093

Every sandwich at the award-winning Tony Luke’s is worth ordering, and they taste even better during a game at the nearby sports complex. 39 E. Oregon Avenue. (215) 551-5725, www.tonylukes.com

Michael's famous philly cheese steak sandwich

Epicurious Television 2002 © Michael Lomonaco, 2002

The secrets of a great cheese steak are the quality of the ingredients and the thinness of the raw beef. The beef is best cut into paper-thin slices on an electric slicer. If an electric slicer is out of the question (many home kitchen stores sell these small machines inexpensively), try our method below to achieve similar results.
Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings.


Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds top round steak
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion
4-6 bell peppers, any color
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb sharp provolone cheese, thinly sliced
4 to 6 soft hero rolls or hoagie rolls


Preparation
1. Tightly roll the eye round steak into a torpedo or log shape. Wrap tightly in plastic. Place log in freezer for 45 minutes to firm the beef into a tight but not frozen texture.

2. Remove plastic, and working quickly, use an electric knife to slice the beef into paper-thin strips, almost shaving the beef. If this does not work well, use a sharp knife and cut the beef into the thinnest slices possible, then flatten the slices using a meat tenderizer. Refrigerate slices until ready to cook.

3. Peel and halve onion. Slice into paper-thin half moon pieces. Halve the peppers, remove and discard seeds, and then slice into thick wedges.

4. Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add onions and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until caramelized and softened, stirring frequently. Do not allow them to brown. Transfer onions to bowl; add pepper to same skillet, still over low heat. Cook peppers 10 to 15 minutes, until soft and tender, flipping often. Transfer to bowl with onions. Season onion-pepper mixture to taste. Cover bowl to keep warm.

5. In a clean skillet, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Cook the beef in 2 batches, until lightly browned and cooked through, stirring often. Add olive oil if necessary.
6. To serve: Pile beef strips, peppers and onions and cheese slices inside a hero roll.

Here's somebody's review of the recipe:
This was okay, growing up in Wilm. DE, I was looking forward to an authentic Philly Cheesesteak. I found this sandwich to be kind of dry and lacking in flavor. I will check out the patskingofsteaks website, also I agree that the peppers should be hot or pickled, not bell.

Cheese oh man!!!

White American cheese, provolone, and Cheez Whiz are the most frequently used cheeses and are available for steaks at most places. Swiss, cheddar, and mozzarella are available at a few locations; locals, however, will often say that a "true" Philadelphia cheesesteak is never made with Swiss cheese.

Cheez Whiz, first marketed in 1952, was not yet available for the original 1930 version, but it has come to achieve some popularity. A 1986 New York Times article called Cheez Whiz "the sine qua non of cheesesteak connoisseurs." In a 1985 interview, Frank Olivieri (Pat Olivieri's nephew) said that he uses "the processed cheese spread familiar to millions of parents who prize speed and ease in fixing the children's lunch for the same reason, because it is fast."A recipe published by Pat's King of Steaks says, with regard to cheese, "We recommend Cheez Whiz; American or Provolone works fine." The proprietor of Geno's, however, considers provolone or American cheese more authentic, but Pat's introduction of Cheese Whiz allowed it to quickly become a "topping of choice."

American. American cheese, with its mild flavor and medium consistency, is another favorite on cheesesteaks. Some places pre-melt the American cheese to achieve a Cheez Whiz–like consistency, while others just put freshly cut slices over the meat, letting it slightly melt under the heat.

Provolone. Mild, unaged provolone is almost universally offered. However, a Los Angeles reporter claimed that "provolone is the cheesesteak cheese, preferably an extra-sharp provolone with a distinctly savage bite.".

Other cheese
A few establishments have begun offering the new low-fat cheeses as health-conscious alternatives. Mozzarella cheese is also used, but mainly as a "pizza steak" and is rarely used as a regular steak.

Television chef and food scientist Alton Brown recommends Mimolette, a French cheese with a similar color and texture to cheddar. His Chain of Bull Cheese Steaks recipe uses Mimolette and offers no suggestions for alternatives.

The Perfect Philly Cheesesteak

From John Fischer, for About.com

Mayor Street's new fitness guru will tell you they're bad for you, but they're just so darn good that Philadelphian's tend to overlook that minor point. They are, of course, cheesesteaks. Far more than TastyKakes and soft pretzels, this is the food that Philly is known for.

You see, other cities have cupcakes and "soft pretzels." True, they're nothing like ours, but they have them. But people in other parts of the U.S. often don't even know what a cheesesteak is. No, they're not Steak-Ums. Steak-Ums are a substitute - like Egg Beaters are to chicken eggs.
Real cheesesteaks are cooked fresh, covered with American cheese, provolone or Cheese-Whiz and rest in a roll dripping with grease. Sound disgusting? You're obviously not from this town.
Cheesesteaks were invented in South Philadelphia in the 1930's at Pat's Steaks, located in the heart of South Philadelphia, hence the addition of "Philly" to the name. They were originally topped with a pizza sauce, (now called a pizza steak).

Where to find the best cheesesteak is a question that will forever be debated throughout the area. Only in Philadelphia could two places stay open all night selling cheesesteaks -- right across the street from each other -- and both do a thriving business.

The debate over whether Pat's or Geno's steaks are the best goes on every night. Both are located on Passyunk Avenue near Ninth Street in the heart of South Philly. Other neighborhoods have also staked their claims to have the best cheesesteak.

Jim's Steaks at 4th and South Street has been in business for over 60 years, and is a favorite of many locals. Dallessandro's at Henry Avenue and Wendover Street in Roxborough, PA has received much acclaim in recent years for their fresh rolls and large sandwiches. John Russ, who maintains a website called The Best Philly Cheesesteaks says that his choice is Leo's at 1403 Chester Pike in suburban Folcroft, Delaware County.

There are a number of things you need to consider in your search for the perfect cheesesteak. First, there's the cheesesteak itself. As already noted, a proper Philly cheesesteak is made with real beef -- fresh, not frozen. It is cooked on a grill using grease. As it is cooked, it should be chopped to bits. You then choose which cheese you prefer and whether you want onions, peppers or other toppings. When the sandwich is served the juices should drip from your cheesesteak. In order to avoid ruining their clothes, Philadelphians have learned, what is referred to as, the "Philadelphia Lean", bending forward to eat the cheesesteak, instead of bringing it to your mouth.

The perfect cheesesteak shop has ample seating for the clientele. Outdoor seating is best in South Philly. You will find older folks eating right next to teenagers and tourists. The most popular shops are open late into the night. A midnight cheesesteak is a Philly tradition. Many of the more famous shops have signed celebrity photos decorating their establishments.

Philly Cheesesteak Recipe#2

Philadelphia Cheese Steak Sandwich Recipe

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced as thin as possible and rings separated
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
12 ounces chipped steak (thin sliced eye of round, rib eye, or sirloin tip roast)*
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Cheese Whiz or provolone cheese slices
1 Italian, French or hoagie roll
Dill pickle spears
* Freeze steak before sliced. Slice it paper thin.

In a large frying pan over high heat, add olive oil and heat so that a drop of water will sizzle when you drop it in the oil; lower heat to medium. Add onions and mushrooms, stir and cook until mushrooms darken and onions start to look transparent. Add steak slices and cook for 3 minutes or until meat lightly browns. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heap cooked meat mixture in a long pile across pan, Lay cheese slices over meat until melted. If using Cheese Whiz, melt in a double boiler or in the microwave. Slice bread lengthwise. Using a spatula, scoop meat mixture and cheese and lay on bread with cheese on top. If using melted Cheese Whiz, ladle it on top. slice sandwich into 2 or 4 pieces, and serve with a dill pickle.

Philly Cheesteak Recipe#1

Philly Cheesesteak Recipe -

Makes 1 Philly Cheesesteak
1/4 pound very thinly sliced steak (rib eye is recommended)1/4 cup onion, sliced or chopped. Cheez Whiz processed cheese spread or provolone cheese

Italian style roll Saute the onions in a small amount of oil in a heavy skillet. Add the sliced steak when the onions are almost done. Cook the steak for about 5 minutes, or til it is how you like it.
Follow the instructions on the Cheez Whiz jar to heat it.

Toast the roll if you want, but the authentic Philly cheesesteak recipe doesn't.

Put the sauteed onions and sliced steak on the roll. Drizzle with heated Cheez Whiz or add a slice of provolone on top. (The heat from the steak and onions will melt the provolone cheese.)
The onions are optional. You can add other garnishes such as sauteed mushrooms and/or peppers if you like. Some people like to douse their Philly cheesesteak sandwiches with ketchup. The choice is yours.