Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

The legendary Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich is said to have originated in the early 1930's in Philadelphia.  This hearty sandwich is served on French or Italian rolls and consists of very thinly sliced roast beef, sautéed onions and peppers, and melted cheese.  There seems to be a lot of disagreement regarding the type of cheese to use, but provolone and American seem to be the favorites.

 

Instead of buying deli roast beef for our sandwiches, which currently runs $10 or more per pound (ouch!), I bought a bottom round beef roast, which at $4.50 per pound is a great bargain and my favorite choice for sliced beef sandwiches.  This cut of beef cooks quickly, and only needs a generous coating of seasoned salt and cracked pepper before roasting.  Cooking the roast until it reaches 145 degrees in the center, then letting it rest for about 20 minutes, delivers a tender and juicy cut of beef that is right around medium-rare and ready for slicing.  The 3 pound roast used in this recipe is about twice the amount needed for the 5 of us, but the leftover beef is great for sandwiches, and the 3 pound size seems to always cook perfectly, so I always buy the same size.

 

For the toppings, we sautéed sliced onion and green and orange peppers for our sandwiches and topped them off with smoked provolone cheese.  A quick 3 minutes under the broiler melted the cheese until it was bubbly and the bread was slightly toasted. Delicious!

3 lb  Bottom Round Beef Roast
Seasoned Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 TB  Olive Oil
1  Green Pepper, cored and sliced
1  Orange or Red Pepper, cored and sliced
1  medium Onion, sliced
Smoked Provolone Cheese Slices
French or Italian Hoagie Rolls, sliced lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking pan with foil and place the roast in the pan, fat side up.  Generously coat the roast with seasoned salt and pepper, then bake uncovered for about 60 to 90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees.

Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest for 20 - 30 minutes.  Once the roast has cooled slightly, slice the meat very thinly and place the meat on a platter until you are ready to prepare the sandwiches.

Line a baking sheet with foil, place the hoagie rolls on the sheet and place a slice of provolone cheese in the base of each roll; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the peppers and onions to the skillet, add a little more ground black pepper, and sauté until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. 

Add about half of the meat to the skillet with the peppers and onions (this will serve about 6 people) and set the rest of the meat aside.  Sauté the mixture quickly, stirring the beef, onions and peppers together.  If the beef looks a bit dry, add one or two teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet, and continue to stir, only cooking the beef for about 2 minutes.

Scoop portions of the beef, onions and peppers onto the hoagie rolls, pressing the mixture into the rolls.  Top with slices of provolone cheese, then place the sandwiches under the broiler for 2 - 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are slightly browned.  Serve immediately.