Philly Cheesesteaks

Yields: 2 servings

Prep time: 25 minutes

Freezing: 60 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Contains: Milk and wheat

What You Will Need

• Chef's knife

• Measuring spoons and cups

• 12-inch cast-iron skillet with lid or large cast-iron flat griddle pan or plancha

• Large spatula

• Cutting board

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454g) boneless rib eye steak or skirt steak, or store-bought pre-sliced rib eye (see notes)

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil or other neutral oil

• 1/2 medium yellow onion (4 ounces; 114 g), cut into 1/4-inch dice

• 8 thin slices provolone cheese (about 6 ounces; 160 g), 4 slices torn into 1-inch pieces, and 4 slices left whole

• (optional) 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Two 7- to 8-inch-long Italian hoagie/sub rolls, split lengthwise, but left attached on 1 side to create a hinge

Instructions

1. If using a whole steak, trim and cut the steak crosswise with the grain into roughly 3-inch wide sections, then set on a large plate and freeze until firm but not frozen solid, about 1 hour. If using pre-sliced steak, skip to chopping instructions in Step 2. 

2. Using a sharp knife, shave the steak as thin as possible on a biased angle against the grain. Mound the shaved meat on a cutting board and chop coarsely with a knife, about 5 times for store-bought sliced meat or 10 times for hand-sliced. 

3. Heat an empty 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add oil to the skillet and heat until just smoking. Add meat and onion in an even layer and cook, without stirring, until well browned on one side, 4 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently to move and pull apart the meat slices until the meat and onions are browned and the meat is no longer pink, 2 to 4 minutes.

4. Stir in torn provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese (if using), salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Divide the mixture into 2 individual portions, the length of the rolls. Shingle 2 slices of Provolone cheese over each portion. Cover and let the cheese melt, about 1 minute.

5. Center rolls, cut sides down, over each portion of meat. Working with one at a time, use a large spatula to scoop under each portion of meat and flip the meat into a roll to create a filled sandwich. Serve immediately. 

Notes

• While I prefer rib eye steak in this recipe, skirt steak will work just as well. You may also use store-bought pre-sliced well marbled steak found at some supermarkets like Wegmans and many Asian market chains like H-Mart. If using pre-sliced steak, still run a knife through the mound of meat about 5 times at the end of step 2.

• If you have a cast-iron flat griddle pan or plancha, this is the time to use it. Position and center (over two burners if needed) for even heating of the pan.

• While written for an indoor stovetop, this recipe works great in a cast-iron skillet cooked outside on a grill, which is a great way to avoid grease splatter in your kitchen. Preheat the grill as usual, then preheat the empty cast-iron skillet on a preheated grill on high heat, with a lid closed, for 5 minutes. Proceed with the recipe.

• Provolone cheese can range from mild to very sharp. Go with your personal preference, but the cheese should be sliced thin and melt easily. You may also substitute with equal weight Cheese Whiz or American cheese in this recipe. 

• This recipe can easily be cut in half to make 1 serving. Alternatively, it may also be doubled and cooked through in 2 separate batches to serve 4.

You can download the recipe below!