If you're a fan of sports (or even if you're not) you may know the city of Philadelphia has been on a bit of roll lately. Their Eagles won their first Super Bowl, Villanova won the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and the long maligned 76ers are set to make the playoffs and appear to have a bright future ahead of them! What does that have to do with food? Well, it makes me think of the Philly Cheesesteak, obviously. So I decided I'd see if I could make some changes to dress up this favorite of mine.
A classic Cheesesteak uses thinly sliced beef cooked on a griddle and typically uses either white American or Provolone cheeses, and is served on a hoagie (or sub) roll. I've heard debates about whether or not it should include peppers and onions...I'm in favor of it, but to each their own.
So there were a few things I did differently. First thing was I cook the piece of steak whole, then sliced it. I used extra sharp cheddar cheese, and a baguette. I also still used peppers and onions, but I added mushroom as well, used a red pepper, and I caramelized the onion to give the sandwich a bit of sweetness!
Finally, I added a sauce. Honestly, I'm not sure you can call it a sauce, its really just two condiments mixed together. While the primary inspiration for this meal was Philly, the "sauce" was inspired by Massachusetts' North Shore. If you've spent any time there (seriously even 2 minutes) you've likely seen an establishment proclaiming to serve Roast Beef. These places are typically someone's name (Nick's, Bob's, Jim's) Roast Beef. In this area, a "Roast Beef Sandwich" is not just any sandwich with roast beef on it; from the roll on down it is something very specific. If also uses a combination of Mayo and BBQ Sauce. I love it, and I thought it would make a nice addition to this particular meal.
I love sandwiches (if you couldn't tell by now) and I enjoyed making and eating this, and I hope you do, too!
(Below is enough for two big sandwiches!)
What you'll need:
- 1 Strip Steak (about 14-16oz)
- 1 small Yellow Onion, caramelized
- 1-2 Mushrooms, sautéed till soft
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper in 1/2" slices. sautéed till soft
- 1 baguette, cut lengthwise (almost all the way through), then halved
- 1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grate
- 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
How you'll do it:
- Preheat Oven to 400*
- Combine BBQ Sauce and Mayo in bowl and set aside
- Season steak with your favorite marinade or rub. I kept it simple with oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook steak to slightly below your ideal temperature, (since we'll be putting it in the oven later. I like my steak medium-rare, so I cooked in a cast iron skillet about 5min per side).
- Spread sauce mixture on each side of baguette.
- Slice cooked steak into 1/2-inch thick strips, toss in a bowl with peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Fill each baguette half with ingredients and sprinkle cheese on top.
- Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil and bake till bread is warm and cheese it melted.
Enjoy!
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