Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Cheesesteak Sandwich made best with rib-eye
You can make a mighty fine cheesesteak at home using grocery store ingredients. This recipe has lots of cheese and steak. Rib-eye is the ideal cut for the meat; ask your butcher to trim off outside fat and silver skin and shave it thin. Picante (sharp) provolone, available at the deli counter, adds tang and flavor. A stainless-steel skillet (not nonstick) can mimic a restaurant griddle. Traditionally, a cheesesteak is served on a hoagie or sub roll, but I prefer a more durable baguette because it absorbs the cheesesteak’s juices without falling apart. I also like to add jalapenos for a bit of a kick.
Pro tip: Separate and lay out the rib-eye slices on film wrap before you start cooking to avoid peeling them apart at the last minute.
Cheesesteak Sandwich
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
2 (8-inch) pieces baguette portions (don’t use the pointy ends) OR 2 hoagie rolls
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
1 medium yellow onion (about 7 ounces), halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 (2-inch piece) jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced, or more (or none) to taste
1 pound shaved beef rib-eye (ask your butcher to do this)
6 ounces (about 12 slices) thinly sliced provolone picante cheese (I prefer Boar’s Head brand)
In a small ramekin or bowl, combine the salt and pepper. Halve the baguettes lengthwise but not all the way through. Spread 1 teaspoon of butter evenly over each interior side.
Heat a 12-inch stainlesssteel or cast-iron skillet (not nonstick) over high heat for 2 minutes. Working in two batches, open the rolls and toast them, buttered sides down, until golden, 60 to 90 seconds. (Press down on the rolls with a metal spatula if need be, so the entire surface gets toasted.) Lightly toast the other side for about 30 seconds. Transfer each roll open-faced to a plate; leave the skillet over the heat.
Add the onions to the skillet in two piles and top with the jalapeno slices. Drape half the meat over each pile and season with the salt and pepper mixture. Allow the steam from the onions to cook the meat until nearly well done, using the end of a metal spatula to spread the piles out wider, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then use the spatula to flip each pile and cook any remaining pink out of the meat, about 1 to 2 minutes. (If you like the steak chopped up, use the spatula to do that here.)
Drape half the cheese over each pile and let it melt entirely, 1 to 2 minutes, using the spatula to combine the meat, cheese, onions and jalapeño and aid the melting. Using the spatula, spread cheesesteak filling evenly over the rolls. As you close each sandwich, use the end of the spatula to stuff the meat into it so that it doesn’t spill out.
Cut the cheesesteaks in half with a serrated knife and serve.
Makes 2 sandwiches. Nutrition information: Each sandwich contains approximately 1,428 calories, 71 g protein, 96 g fat, 66 g carbohydrate (6 g sugar), 289 mg cholesterol, 2, 352 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.