Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

My husband once asked me to tell him my top favorite foods, and I listed a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich as one of my favorites. Steak, cheese, and a little spice? Mmmm.... that's right down my alley. And guess what? My husband can make a mean Philly Cheesesteak! Yes, he cooked tonight. He is just awesome like that. The inspiration for our sandwiches came from here. Their recipe is:

Cheesesteaks

1 lb. steak (you really can use any cut; since you’re going to slice it up and season it heavily, there’s really no need to splurge on a fillet mignon.)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
Provolone
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula; optional, I suppose, but super yummy!)
4-6 Hoagie rolls

Okay, your job here will be made infinitely easier if you have a food processor.
THIS recipe is what food processors were made for. One reason some people may not like steak sandwiches is that the steak is cut too thickly. If you have a food processor, you can fit it with the slicing blade, partially/mostly freeze your steak, and get paper-thin slices of steak for your sandwiches. Also, you can slice your onion and green peppers, making this recipe a breeze! As always, you should consult the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure it’s okay to use the food processor to slice meat, but, generally speaking, the rule of thumb is that if you can pierce the meat with the tip of a sharp knife, it’s okay to put it in your food processor.

All righty then, onto the recipe. Slice bell peppers and onions (preferably in the food processor). Set aside. Slice frozen meat (again, food processor). Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and stir-fry. Season heavily with salt and lots of freshly-ground pepper. When meat is about half-cooked, add peppers and onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and meat is cooked through. Season with hot sauce to taste. For me, I don’t want them super spicy. But I like a little bite. As far as hot sauce goes, Tabasco is not my favorite. Shhhh. Don’t tell my dad or the hot sauce police in my state of residence; I may be shunned forever. I prefer Cholula–it’s not quite as hot, so I can actually taste the flavor of the sauce, not just the heat. I also love that it has a nice smokey flavor to it. And the fact that if I get a little crazy with the hot sauce and add more than 3 drops, I haven’t ruined everything. But I’m also a wuss, so take that into your hot sauce considerations.

Anyway, enough hot sauce yammering. Slice buns and spoon steak mixture inside. Top with cheese and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasty. Enjoy!


Okay, so even though this looks like a great recipe, and got great reviews, my husband changed it quite a bit. He cut up the steak into tiny pieces (the chef is right about the steak needing to not be too thick) and then threw it into a buttered pan on the stove. He then added the onion, salt and pepper, and jalapeno peppers to the pan.... (We like some spice, but he's allergic to bell peppers so we substituted jalapeno peppers instead). Then he put pepperjack cheese on both sides of the rolls (he says that lots of cheese is the way to go .... oh, and we love pepperjack for these) and added the steak mixture. Pop it into the broiler for less than a minute and you have a delicious cheesesteak sandwich. It was amazing. I just might have to ask my husband to make them quite often.... and not just so I can get out of cooking. ;-)