Recipe of the Week: Philly Steak Sub!

One of my favorite restaurants ever was called Touch of Philly. Unfortunately, a few years back the owner retired and they went out of business. Touch of Philly made the best steak subs I have ever had, and I have made attempts to duplicate them in the past, but now I think I've finally cracked the code. It's all in the meat selection.

Getting the thinnest cut of meat possible is key to a great steak sub. I've heard you can go to the butcher and asked for beef sirloin SHAVED. I haven't had much luck with this. However, while at Uwajimaya asian market, I found some paper-thin sliced beef short ribs. PERFECT!

Now... what else??? The cheese is also key to a great steak sub. White American and Provolone. No substitutes. These cheese melt well and blend together for just the right creamy, cheesy-ness that is character of steak subs.

Ok, so onto the rest. Get some fresh baked french bread hoagie rolls, onions, and a little mayonnaise. If you're really going to go all out, you could spend 30 minutes caramelizing your onions. Just depends on your tastes.

Here is how I make mine:

1/4 lb very thinly sliced beef
2 slices white american cheese
1 slice provolone cheese
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 onion, sliced
hoagie roll

Set a large saucepan over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is heated, add your sliced onions to the pan and saute for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are slightly browned and tender. Set aside. There should still be some oil in the pan, if there is not, add a small amount to just coat the bottom of the pan. Place the slices of beef into the pan and as they cook, pull apart the pieces using a wooden spoon. You should have small-medium pieces. This will cook very fast, so keep the meat moving in the pan so it does not burn. You might add a little water at this time to release the meat's juices and keep from burning.



Add your onions into the pan and mix in. Pile the meat/onions into the center of the pan in a straight line. Lay the slices of cheese on top so they begin to melt. Now you can put the mayonnaise onto both sides of the hoagie and lay the hoagie on top of you meat/cheese. By laying the roll on top of the cheese/meat you are trapping the heat inside to help the cheese melt and warm your roll up. This should only take a couple of minutes, you be the judge.

Now, take your wooden spoon or a spatula and slide it under everything in the pan, scooping all the contents into your roll. Voila! You've got a philly steak sub. Enjoy.