How To Prepare An Authentic Philly Cheesesteak
Meat: Befriend your butcher.
You need them to partially freeze a piece of rib eye and then slice it very thin.
You want it sliced thin even though common sense tells us that thick is better.
You can buy the piece of rib eye and freeze and slice it yourself, but the butcher generally does a better job than I do.
I can only slice it to about 1/8" thick and he does it thinner.
Bread: This is the hard part.
If you are not in the tri-state area and cannot get Amoroso rolls, then you have to find a substitute.
Soft sandwich rolls won't work.
They can't handle the pressure.
Avoid buying those "hero" breads too.
A good hoagie roll is almost gummy in texture, but quite soft.
The best substitute I have found is a French bread loaf.
It's not as good as the original, but oh well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Toppings: All of this is a matter of personal preference.
I like fried onions and mushrooms.
The cheeses used vary - I hate to admit it but I think Cheese Whiz tastes best.
Provolone is also amazing and that's what I would use if I were afraid of the orange plastic cheese called Whiz.
Cooking the steak: In a cast-iron skillet or grill pan, heat a little oil.
Sauté the toppings until they are flexible - make them how you like them.
Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
Put more oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.
Place 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of meat in the skillet, laying the pieces down and overlapping them to form a shape that will fit well on a roll.
When the meat turns gray and cooked, flip it and if you are using cheese slices, this is the time to put them on top of the meat.
Add the other toppings back into the skillet next to the meat and let them heat up.
Cover the skillet so the cheese melts.
This should take 1 to 2 minutes.
If the meat looks too cooked, it's okay - it should be gray.
This is the time to toast the roll if you wish.
I don't like anything toasted at all.
Warmed is fine.
If you use Cheese Whiz, heat it in the microwave.
Lift the meat and melted cheese with a spatula and place it on the roll.
If you use Cheese Whiz, use a butter knife or a popsicle stick to spread the Whiz next to the meat.
Push the meat to one side of the roll and place the toppings next to it.
This is important because if you put the toppings on top of the meat, they won't be at the bottom of the sandwich, which really sucks.
You should have meat, toppings, and cheese in every bite.
Ingredients
Rib eye, onion, mushroom, provolone cheese, and hoagie rolls.
