Cheesesteaks are an icon in the city of Philadelphia.
A cheese steak is a sandwich that originated in the American city of Philadelphia and has become a staple found in numerous restaurants, bars, and other eating places. The sandwich consists primarily of a thinly sliced, cooked steak served on a hoagie bun. It is then topped with a variety of ingredients, although sautéed onions and boiled bell peppers, along with cheese, are common. A cheese steak can also be made using a number of variations to create sandwiches, such as the pizza steak and buffalo chicken sandwich.
Cheese steak has become a staple in many restaurants.
Often referred to as Philadelphia cheesesteak or Philly cheesesteak, a cheesesteak sandwich usually starts with the bun. A hoagie roller is normally used. This bread can potentially consist of any type of bread, although Italian bread is traditional. The roll is divided and can be lightly toasted inside, depending on the preference of the cook or diner.
The cheese steak can be topped with a little pepperoni.
The meat for a cheese steak can consist of any cut of steak, although a rib or top round cut is typically used. The meat is cut into thin slices and cooked on a hot plate; The thicker pieces cook a bit longer and the thin pieces can sometimes be stacked or cooked on top of onion slices to prevent overcooking. These slices of meat can be left whole or lightly chopped with a spatula during cooking.
A cheesesteak sandwich can be made with provolone or yellow cheddar cheese.
While the steak and cheese is all that is strictly necessary for a cheese steak, there are a number of other ingredients that can be included. Onions, especially Spanish onions, are quite popular and are often lightly sautéed in oil to soften them and enhance their sweetness. Cooked bell peppers and mushrooms can also be used as garnishes when desired.
Once all of this is on the roll, cheese is placed on top to complete the sandwich. The original cheesesteak was probably made with provolone cheese, which is still a favorite of many people, although American cheese can also be used. More recently, processed processed cheese has become standard in many places and this type of cheese is favored by many cheesesteak enthusiasts.
There are a number of variations on cheese steak that have become quite popular. A steak pizza sandwich usually consists of slices of steak topped with a red pizza sauce, usually topped with some pepperoni and crumbled mozzarella cheese. Buffalo Cheese Chicken Sandwiches use chicken instead of steak, and the chicken is made with a spicy sauce similar to the sauce used to make Buffalo chicken wings, usually topped with blue cheese.