Cheez Whiz is overrated for cheesesteaks

You've read it, heard it, tasted it, savored it, seen it in photo-op action: Want a "classic" or "authentic" Philly cheesesteak? Gotta go with Cheez Whiz. True, Whiz is king at Pat's and Geno's, those legendary South Philly sites at Ninth and Passyunk. Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as Bill and Chelsea Clinton, ate at Pat's - and had Whiz.

But pundits, pleez note: Whiz wasn't first historically, and it's no runaway favorite regionwide.
At John's Roast Pork, which serves up taste-test winners on Snyder Avenue, the processed cheese sauce isn't even served. "I'm a cheese eater, sweetheart, and I love cheese, but Whiz is not cheese," says owner Vonda Bucci, 75. "It's a lot of grease and coloring."

"We won't do it. We will not carry Cheez Whiz," said Jack Mullan, 50, co-owner of popular Leo's Steak Shop in Folcroft. And customers never complain. A recent Philly.com poll asked, "What cheese belongs on a cheesesteak?" and Whiz finished third. American edged out provolone after more than 5,700 votes were cast.

Even Geno's owner Joey Vento, 68, downplays Whiz. "To be honest with you, I've never eaten Cheez Whiz, and I'm the owner," he said. " . . . We always recommend the provolone. . . . That's the real cheese." The yellow runny goo, though, is the top choice of his customers - the locals as well as tourists, he said. Ditto at Pat's King of Steaks, where Whiz oozed its way into history, said owner Frank Olivieri Jr., 44.

Originally, the Philly steak sandwich, invented by his Uncle Pat in the early 1930s, he said, had no cheese. By and by, cheese was introduced. "Customers got tired of eating with or without onions, just like my Uncle Pat got tired of eating hot dogs," Frank Jr. said. American or sharp provolone? was the original debate, he said.

In the mid 1950s - not long after Cheez Whiz hit the market - his father, Frank Sr., began keeping some by the grill, and telling customers to try it. "It worked well, it tasted good. . . . It caught on," Frank Jr. said. Other places started "impostoring us," he said.
But not immediately.

Patent attorney Stuart Beck, 67, remembers American as the standard for steaks in the mid '50s and early '60s when he was a student at Overbrook High, and later at Drexel University.

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.

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.