On the Proper Philly Cheesesteak
 

A lotta folks outside of Philly are being fed things that are called "Philly cheesesteaks" which range from "nice try but no cigar" to "You HAVE to be kidding!"

Main problem's the roll. Outside of the Phila-NY corridor, really decent Italian bakeries are thin on the ground. And let's face it, a cheesesteak isn't a cheesesteak unless it has a Sarcone's hoagie roll, with Amoroso's as a good second choice. The roll really should be fresh with a crispy crust. Sourdough long rolls or panini are a workable substitute.

The beef itself is fairly simple: The cheapest cut of pot roast/brisket/etc. you can find, sliced thin against the grain. Pile this on a flat metal grilling surface (or a wok is OK, too) and grill it using olive oil. Use metal spatulas to chop the meat further as it cooks.

Sides: Fried onions are the classic topping. Again, grill with olive oil until the onions are transparent and set aside while grilling the beef. Fried green peppers are OK, too.

Cheese: Purists use nothing but Cheez Whiz. However, sliced provolone is good, too.

Bon appetit!

-MMM-

Are you ready to go to war with Chicago and Boston (and New Orleans) over this?

I think I've had Sarcone's in the past, but I prefer Amoroso. When I was in Atlanta a long while back, I met a guy who opened an 'authentic' steak shop. If I remember, he had Amoroso's rolls shipped in.

Shortly after we moved here, I was introduced to steaks with Cheese Wiz at The Spectrum. I considered this completely revolting, and I just naturally assumed that this was an abomination that anyone of good sense would abhor in favor of some good Italian product like provolone. I couldn't believe it when I found out that wiz is considered the traditional default choice!

You Philly guys really do have the cheesesteak thingie down to a science. I had one years ago while visiting and since then I have wandered aimlessly in search of another "real" cheesesteak sandwich. Nothing around here but futile attempts. Might be a good business angle. But then again, some things just aren't authentic unless they have the proper geographical origin. My grandmother's buiscits weren't as good when she baked them at our house. Maybe I'll fly to the Penn State soon. I'm hungry.

Really? Where was this? I tried Philly Connection, which was horrible. I did go to a pizza-ish type joint in Decatur that did an <I>okay</I> sandwich made of beef fried on a flat griddle with melted american cheese, but a Philly cheesesteak it most decidedly was not.
:headshake

Yeah, for most of flatland, at least, I'd agree. But there's no shortage of good Italian bread etc. here in Chicago. And even in St. Louis, decent bread can be found on The Hill.

On another topic: Cheez Whiz???? You're kidding, right?

I need one of you to come to Texas and tell me if the cheesesteaks served at Texadelphia are as great as I think they are, or way off the mark.

We''ll ALL be right over.... you buyin'?

You actually have to see the big ol' can of it, with dried whiz crust around the rim, sitting next to the grill to fully appreciate...gah, I can't finish... :vomit:

It's the lucious texture of this cheesy, creamy goodness that makes you marvel at the artificial ingenuity that it is.

I've heard that it's gray before they put all the artificial colors in...

No.

I wish. Like I said, when I saw it at The Spectrum as a Philadelphia newbie, I thought it was a stadium concession stand travesty.

Well, now I want to try one. As much as I shudder at the thought, I'll have to try it with cheeze whiz for authenticity - once.

I've got a good local butcher. What cut of beef should I buy if I don't really want to buy a five pound roast?

there's a philly connection near the house, it's o.k. NBN eats the crap out of 'em. i on the other hand have only had it a couple of times. there's a perfectly good subway just down the street from there.

cheese whiz? on steak? if that's what philly conn. uses then it's sorta ok but damn, that just sounds nasty.

When my wife returned from her Philly trip, I asked if she had tried a cheesesteak. She said she did but the person running the resturant told her that the most authentic cheesesteak had to be served with Cheeze Whiz. I almost fell out of my chair and I wasn't even sitting down. I was stunned. It was like someone telling me that in order to enjoy an authentic Italian ravioli dinner, you have to have it served with ketchup. To me it just sounds...cheap..or cheezy (:cheese: much like that pun :cheese: )

Philly Conn does not use whiz, they use the white American cheese.

Not only that, they guy weighs out meat on a scale before cooking it. Let's not be too generous here.

If it's not whiz, it should be provolone (which is my personal preference). White American? What are they thinking??

Philly Connection in Jacksonville uses Wiz...now. I saw to that!

The cheaper, the better. A chuck steak, for example, is fine. The emphasis, here, though, is chopping the meat fine while cooking it (which is why a griddle is better). Basically, it should be totally broken down like, say, taco meat (but without the seasoning). Don't use ground beef; a) that's cheating and b) the texture is wrong.

-MMM-

See if the butcher'll cut you flat slices of sirloin. I don't often see it prepackaged at "normal" groceries; I buy it at asian groceries becuase it's commonly used in asian dishes (in chinese noodle soup and in japanese shabu shabu). I've used that for cheesesteaks before, and I like the texture best - a bit thick, but it has so much flavor.

White American's the default cheese for many a cheesesteak in my 'hood. This could be a new-ish thing. Make sense, though--it melts and blends faster into the meat than Provolone, and it doesn't freak out the tourists as much as Whiz. It's damn tasty, too...texture is creamy and tangy and becomes one with the steak. :yum:

I, too, was frightened of Whiz like many of you. You gotta try it at least once, though; it is GOOD. Just try not to look at the can by the grill, or you will lose your nerve. If you're making cheesesteaks yourself, don't use too much.

I made the huge mistake of ordering Provolone on my cheesesteak at Pat's, once--BLEH. Besides the fact that Pat's meat is disgusting, the Provolone was not melted at all, because they move 'em down the line too fast. Pat's steak NEEDS Whiz to make it work. And cheese fries absolutely require Whiz.

The proper cheesesteak is the Roxborough steak, where the meat is chopped and the cheese is American.

My late boss grew up in Allentown PA, and was choosy about his Philly cheese steaks. He felt himself blessed working around Ventura County CA, though: some transplanted Philadelphians run a chain of about five variegated stores scattered through the county called "The Great Central Steak & Hoagie." For his money, the GCS&H in Santa Paula CA was the best of the lot: meat's right, cheese is provolone (Cheese Whiz?? Jayzus.), rolls are white bread, which is pretty thin stuff to my palate, onions and peppers as desired, and all the pickled pepperoncini you can carry. And the french-fry regular order (old-school greasy) is enough taters to glut a stage Irishman.

Strangely enough, WalleyWorld (at least in the ones with a comprehensive food section, more common around this neck of the woods) stocks a "Philly Style Steak" in the frozen meat section, complete with correct preparation instructions! In the interests of culinary science, I'll try some and get back to youse.

-MMM-

i'll second UT. the three biggies in philly are 2nd rate and dirty, imho. you'll do better at little pizza joints around the area. Wright's Deli in Eagle, Pudge's in Norristown, John's in Thorndale, Joe's in Frazer. American cheese works the best, provolone is too sharp. Fried onions, ketchup. no peppers......that starts to become something else altogether. It's absolutely all about the roll. I don;t understand why the hoagie roll is regional. a recipe is a recipe, right? why don;t they have them in Kansas, and Texas, and Mon-friggin-tana?

The cheesesteaks from the local pizza joints in my neighborhoods were alright, but I fell in love with Chubby's when I lived in Germantown. That's where I had my last one before leaving Philly. Plus they serve beer. How can you go wrong with that?!

Having finally gotten around to trying these things a few months back, I can say that these actually work pretty well, at least from the beef aspect of things. :9

As a bonus, they also make a good basis for beef chow fun when stirfried with chopped scallions and bean sprouts in olive oil and soy sauce...

-MMM-

Major Matt, I think Tony Luke is involved with putting those out.