Philly Cheesesteaks

I had an authentic Philly Cheesesteak while visiting some family that lived near Philadelphia several years ago.  It had sliced steak, peppers, onions, cheese, and marinara sauce to top it off, and it was literally amazing.  I haven't had an opportunity to go back recently, but every now and again I'll try a local Philly Cheesesteak or Chicken Philly.  Recently, I made my own Chicken Philly Stuffed Peppers, and decided this time to go for the real deal and make it with steak.  I knew my sister and her husband had been hard at work on some home renovations all day and probably weren't up for cooking, and since I'm no handyman I decided to help them in my own way--by cooking some thing awesome for dinner.

I referenced an authentic Philly Cheesesteak recipe to figure out what cut of steak to use and for the seasoning.  When I went to the store I found the beef roasts and got some assistance from the butcher just to make sure I was getting the right cut.  They suggested using Sirloin Tip and even sliced it into thin strips for me, which I'm sure saved me a lot of trouble!  I also picked up a large onion, 2 green peppers, a can of mushrooms, provolone sliced cheese, and some hoagie rolls.  To get started, I cut the peppers and onions into thin strips.

I put the onions, peppers, and mushrooms in a large skillet with some olive oil and cooked it over medium heat.  The original recipe calls for cooking the vegetables and meat in one large pan, however one pan was not big enough for all the vegetables I had so I cooked it separately.  I let the onions and peppers cook in a covered skillet for about 15-16 minutes, stirring frequently, until they were soft.

In a separate large skillet, I heated up some olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic, then added the steak slices.  As it cooked, I used a large spoon to cut it into small pieces.

Now at this point the house smelled amazing and everyone was beyond ready to dig in, but there was one step left - making the subs.  I cut open the hoagies and filled them all with steak.  Next, I piled on the onions and green peppers, then added provolone cheese on top.  They toasted for 2-3 minutes in the oven to melt the cheese and the Philly Cheesesteak was ready!

Oh my wow.  This was a home run recipe for sure.  The meat was seasoned perfectly and the onions, peppers, and mushrooms were just plain fantastic combined with the provolone.  My husband loved it, my sister loved it, and my brother-in-law completely agreed.  I have found a reason to make Philly Cheesesteaks again and again, and I'm finally learning more about cooking with fresh beef.  Yum.

Philly Cheesesteaks Recipe

Ingredients:

4 hoagie rolls, sliced
1 pound Sirloin Tip, sliced thin
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion
2 green peppers
1 can of mushrooms
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
8 slices provolone cheese

Instructions:

Slice green peppers and onion into thin strips.  Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add peppers, onion, and mushroom and cook for 10-15 minutes, until onions are carmelized and the peppers are soft and cooked through.  In a separate skillet (or after the vegetables have finished cooking), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add meat and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently and cutting into smaller strips.  To make the Philly Cheesesteak, add meat to a hoagie then top with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and 1-2 slices of provolone cheese.  Toast in a low-heat oven for 5 minutes to melt cheese if desired.