Let's Make Cheesesteaks!

A good way to start an argument with someone from Philadelphia is to start in on cheese steak sandwiches. First of all, they will tell you they are called a Philly cheese steak. Then they will go into great detail on how a proper one is made, where you can get a proper cheesesteak and how to eat it. To a purist a Philly cheesesteak is a sandwich made from very thinly sliced beef (not that pressed beef that you get in cheap sandwich shops, this is from a real round of beef). It is served on a long hoagie roll with cheese and possibly grilled onions.
Sound simple, right? Nope, the arguments have not even begun to get heated. Some insist that green and red peppers are part of a Philly, others consider that just short of insulting one parentage. Out-of-towners have asked for mayo and been sent packing from some hard core Philly sandwich shops. Don't get purists started on adding tomatoes or lettuce.

What Started This Thing?

Legend has it that 2 brothers in Philadelphia, who owned a hot dog stand, messed around with some chopped beef and onions one day. A cab driver came by, saw what they had created and ordered one. After eating it he told the brothers to forget the hot dogs, they needed to concentrate on this beef sandwich. Most food historians accept this story but it is hard to believe no one had put chopped or sliced beef, onion and cheese on a hoagie roll before. This recipe is prepared on an electric griddle. There are some cheesesteak recipes for an Instant Pot that are very good but I really like using my griddle for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Italian bread or French bread or 2 large hoagie
• ½ lb. Deli Roast beef, thinly sliced
• 1 White Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tsps. Garlic, minced
• ½ lb. Provolone Cheese, thinly sliced
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for grilling
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Instructions:

• Heat the electric griddle over medium-high heat and brush with oil.
• Add onions and bell peppers; cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften.
• Add garlic, salt and pepper; cook for about half minute.
• Push the mixture off to the side of the griddle and add meat on an empty space on the griddle.
• On the remaining space of the griddle, split the bread and place it face down to toast.
• Cook the meat for couple minutes, continuously flipping it over and slightly breaking it into smaller pieces with spatula until the meat is no longer pink.
• Mix the meat and vegetables together and top with cheese.
• Assemble the sandwich after cheese is melted.

This is close to the original Philly cheesesteak. It is easy to make on your electric griddle (clean up is a snap) and none of the ingredients are difficult to find. If you have the time and inclination, roast your own meat (round steak is perfect for this recipe). There is a dramatic difference in taste when you do this, you may want to make a garlic juice to make it even more original.