Not Your Average Philly Cheese Steak is just that: a modern take on an icon.
We all know that Philadelphia (our other favorite Pennsylvania city) is known for its cheese steaks, and for good reason. This iconic flavor combination is served on almost every street corner and restaurant throughout the city. The beautiful combination of beef and your choice of cheese: "whiz" (as they refer to cheese whiz), sliced provolone or plain; your choice of peppers, onions, mushrooms, pickles (or even hot banana peppers!) makes this sandwich sure to please any palate. I am definitely more of a fan of this classic sandwich then Jackie is, but I was determined to make a version that even she could get excited about.
With this “Not Your Average Philly Cheese Steak”, we took a fan favorite and made it just a little bit different. Using a leftover NY Strip from the night before, I put my own spin on this sandwich by making my own “special” cheese sauce, using a light lager beer and smoked paprika. Now in my opinion, the key to a great cheese steak (in addition to using quality beef) is to use the right hoagie roll. The sub roll has to be soft, yet sturdy enough to hold all the goodness so that it does not all fall apart as you eat it. It also cannot be crunchy and tough as to leave your jaw hurting while chewing it.
As with most of our recipes, it is the simple things that make this Philly Cheese Steak great. The right textures and flavor combinations make for the perfect bite. Planning ahead and grilling a few extra steaks for dinner will make it easy to put this meal together the next day. You definitely want enough for a second or third sandwich, as I am confident that one is just not enough. Trust me we learned the hard way.
Not Your Average Philly Cheese Steak
An upscale version of a traditional favorite.
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 2 hoagies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz strip steak, cooked to medium rare (we used a leftover steak)
- ½ C peppers, julienned
- ½ C onions, julienned
- ½ C sliced mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- ¼ C milk
- 6 oz light beer (using lager is best)
- 1 C shredded velveeta cheese
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 2 - 7" hoagie rolls
Instructions
- TO PREPARE THE CHEESE SAUCE:
- In a large sauté pan, melt butter, then add garlic powder and then flour. Cook over medium heat until butter is completely melted. Toss in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk and whisk until thick like pancake batter.
- While whisking, add cheese and beer and stir until cheese sauce is smooth. Add smoked paprika and then move off heat.
- In a separate sauté pan, add oil and vegetables and cook over medium high heat for approx. 5 minutes and then add steak and remove from heat. Toss to combine and warm steak.
- Slice hoagie rolls and divide steak and veggie mixture and then top with cheese sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Sandwich
- Cuisine: American
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