Philly Cheese Steaks

My last unhealthy post... For now!

Cameron came in this weekend! After a week of storms and wind, it was beautiful this weekend, so we golfed and relaxed... and of course, cooked!

We made the best Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. I don't think I will ever go out and order one again. This dish is a little bit time consuming, but it was so delicious, everyone ate every last bite.

I would make the ingredients in the following order. The cheese sauce will thicken as it cools, so make it first and it will be nice and thick by the time you pour it on top of your sandwich.

Ingredients:   

• 2 to 2 1/2 pound beef loin top sirloin steak boneless, trimmed
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Soft hoagie rolls, split 3/4 open
• Provolone Sauce, recipe follows
• Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows
• Caramelized Onions, recipe follows
• Sauteed Peppers, recipe follows

Directions

Heat griddle or grill pan over high heat. Brush steak with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until medium rare. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes and slice thinly.

Place several slices of the meat on the bottom half of the roll, spoon some of the cheese sauce over the meat, and top with the mushrooms, onions, and peppers.

Provolone Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk, heated
• 1 cup grated aged provolone cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the provolone and Parmesan until combined; season with the salt and pepper.

Sauteed Mushrooms:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (examples: cremini and shiitake), coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 large Spanish onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (I used yellow and sweet onions)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook slowly until golden brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

These onions were so delicious, we ate them as we cooked!

Sauteed Peppers:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 poblano peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 Cubano peppers, thinly sliced (Cubano pepper are sweet peppers, they can be substituted for red or yellow bell peppers)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

The easiest way to cut a pepper is to cut off the top and bottom, like shown below. This make taking out the center and cutting a lot simpler. 

Heat the oil in medium saute pan over high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper.