Cheesesteak time

[AndyK]

I am going to try and do a couple of cheesesteaks this afternoon on my performer using my hunsaker plate with a ribeye I found in the freezer.
I will watch some YouTube’s on it but would dig any advice if any of you have any.
I figure when my ribeye is ready to slice I’ll run it through my slicer, grill some onions/pepper and slap it all together with some cheese and a bun.
Sounds about all that’s there is to it but I know it will be another learning experience.
Thanks.
Andy.

 

[Mark Foreman]

Consider slicing the ribeye before cooking it. If it’s still 1/2 frozen, you can get it real thin. Be sure to grill the onions first and the steak last.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

I have never made one myself but after grilling lots of different beef cuts I came to a conclusion that myself, I do not like to use nice good thick steaks for many other things other than steaks on a plate. You can do steak sandwiches but it will beat the snot out of the bun if not sliced.
My biggest success with making beef work into other dishes like sandwiches have been eye of round roast......cooked carefully and lots of steps were needed to get it right. As well as flank steak. This is fairly new to me but I have cooked 4 or s o recently using them for sammies and mostly Mexican dishes. I have another 4 or so in the freezer just to make sure too.
Even using a nice strip for taco's doesn't do what the flank can do for me.....perfect texture and chew on the flank. Also you cannot cook it past medium or it turns to leather apparently.

So I have no advice as far as what you are going to make, the last few cheesesteaks I had the meat was very thin and had no red / pink left in the meat color. Personally for me and the MRS's taste I would try and choose a flank or find someway to get the meat very thin and small pieces and fast fry the meat on a flat top or something like that.

 

[Ed Grostas]

I'm originally from Philly and I've been making cheesesteaks for years. I usually cook the meat on a flat top griddle on my stove. In my area, most butchers and markets have some sort of what is called sandwich steak or chip steak that works well. It is always sliced paper thin when it is partially frozen. Mark is absolutely correct in what he says above.

Ribeye is the choice among many of the famous cheesesteak shops in Philly and it is typically topped with Cheese Wiz although almost any type of melting cheese can be used. One of the big differences though is the roll. Philadelphians are very picky about them and often say that makes the difference between a good and bad sandwich. The best rolls are a little crisp on the outside with a very light interior. Some shops use sesame seeded rolls. Google Amoroso's or Liscio's rolls and you'll get an idea of the roll.

Anyway, fry your onions first. We like strips of bell pepper (not traditional) and fry them with the onions. You want your onions to be carmelized, not burnt. When you cook your meat use plenty of oil because the thin meat tends to stick and get dry. Trust me---use low heat, flip and move the meat to cook all sides. The meat in local cheesesteaks is never browned, just cooked. Portion for sandwiches, add cheese, cover if possible and melt cheese. Cheese Wiz, if you use it, is handled differently. It is always heated and slathered onto the interor of the cut roll. Meat and onions are placed in the roll and it's done.

If it's done right with good meat and the right kind of roll, it will be one of the best sandwiches you ever ate. If you have any other questions, I'm happy to offer whatever knowledge I have. Good luck.

 

[AndyK]

Well I just finished my sammich.
My son loved his.
Me. I was less than pleased.
Oh well.

I could have done better on the bun.
It was a sourdough bagget butter and fried.
I found it rather greasy.
The steak was fine with just the salt and pepper.
I used 3 slices of provolone that seemed ok but maybe I might try cheezwhizz next time.

I don’t know but something was off.
I never looked at YouTube so I will check out a few channels to better critique my method.
I just can’t put my finger on it but it was an off cook.

 

[DuaneMac]

I like to make as much as I can myself but sometimes there’s a product that’s so good it just doesn’t make sense. IMHO this is one of them. Old Neighborhood shaved steak, it comes sliced paper thin! It’s reasonably priced at $7.99 and yields about 4 decent sized sandwiches. It’s a quality product, not like that frozen pressed crap like Steak-umms.

 

[Ed Grostas]

Duane,
I've used that meat and I agree. It's a quality product. It's really thin and cooks up in seconds. Unless you have a professional deli quality slicer, it's pretty hard to slice the beef thin enough to use on a cheesesteak. I buy most of my sandwich steak from a local dairy farm that also butchers the cattle they raise. I think it's a bargain, only 5.99/lb.
Andy,
Salt and pepper is the only seasoning I use and I never do anything to the roll other than make it "inside out," where you tear out some of the dough from inside the roll, that way there is more meat to roll. At most of the sandwich spots in Philly they make the sandwich right in front of you and they only season with s&p and never add anything to the roll.

When you order a sandwich at Pat's or Geno's they get impatient with you if you don't order correctly. Want fried onions or not: "wit or witout." (Don't pronounce the h) Want Cheese Wiz: "wiz." and the inside out that I mentioned already. A true Philadelphian might order: "Cheesteak wit inside out with wiz."

 

[Bruno]

Duane,
I've used that meat and I agree. It's a quality product. It's really thin and cooks up in seconds. Unless you have a professional deli quality slicer, it's pretty hard to slice the beef thin enough to use on a cheesesteak. I buy most of my sandwich steak from a local dairy farm that also butchers the cattle they raise. I think it's a bargain, only 5.99/lb.
Andy,
Salt and pepper is the only seasoning I use and I never do anything to the roll other than make it "inside out," where you tear out some of the dough from inside the roll, that way there is more meat to roll. At most of the sandwich spots in Philly they make the sandwich right in front of you and they only season with s&p and never add anything to the roll.

When you order a sandwich at Pat's or Geno's they get impatient with you if you don't order correctly. Want fried onions or not: "wit or witout." (Don't pronounce the h) Want Cheese Wiz: "wiz." and the inside out that I mentioned already. A true Philadelphian might order: "Cheesteak wit inside out with wiz."

Had lots of beers at the garage bar in between Pat’s and Geno’s while deciding which one was best. That was a GREAT night.

 

[MikeCantell]

How do you like your Hunsaker plate? I love the idea of some smoke on the flat top , did you have any problem with it warping any?

 

[AndyK]

I like the plate.
It is better than not having one but it is kind of a female dog.
It works well enough and hasn’t had any warping issues.
If it warps using the other side would probably cure it
I use a full chimney to one side of it when I cook.
I was going to cut my own out of thicker material but this works just fine and stores easily on top of my spare tire in my cr-v.

I will totally upgrade to a Blackstone when I can but this does work.
I am not sure I sense a smokey flavor with Kingsford but mesquite probably would add some flavor.

That cut meat looks awesome.
I‘ve never seen it.
Where can I buy some?
Is it in the frozen section ?
I still have to clean my meat slicer (because I’m lazy) and that looks way easier.

 

[TonyUK]

I've made these a couple of times. I've used 2" cubed sirloin, then beat the snot out of it to make it thin, we call it "minute steak" this side of the pond.