Cheesesteak
Encyclopedia
A cheesesteak, also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheese steak, or steak and cheese, is a sandwich
made from thinly-sliced pieces of steak
and melted cheese in a long roll. A popular regional fast food
, it has its roots in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
.
Philadelphians Pat
and Harry Olivieri
are often credited with inventing the sandwich by serving chopped steak on hoagie rolls in the early 1930s. They began selling this variation of steak sandwich
es at their hot dog
stand near south Philadelphia
's Italian Market. They became so popular that Pat opened up his own restaurant which still operates today as Pat's King of Steaks. The sandwich was originally prepared without cheese, Olivieri claims provolone
cheese was first added by Joe "Cocky Joe" Lorenza, a manager at the Ridge Avenue location."
Pat's and Geno's Steaks
have a highly publicized rivalry. They are located across the street from each other on 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue
in South Philadelphia
. Cheesesteaks have become popular in restaurants, cafeterias and food carts throughout the city with many locations being independently owned family run businesses. Variations of cheesesteaks are now common in several fast food
chains. Versions of the sandwich can also be found in locations ranging from bars to high-end restaurants.
, although other cuts of beef are also used. On a lightly oiled griddle
at medium temperature, the steak slices are quickly browned and then scrambled into smaller pieces with a flat spatula
. Slices of cheese are then placed over the meat, letting it melt, and then placing the roll on top of the cheese. The mixture is then scooped up with a spatula, pressed into the roll and cut in half.
Common additions include sautéed
onions
, bell pepper
s, mushroom
s, mayonnaise
, hot sauce
, salt
, pepper
and ketchup
.
or Vilotti-Pisanelli rolls. One source writes that "a proper cheesesteak consists of provolone
or Cheez Whiz
slathered on an Amoroso roll and stuffed with thinly shaved grilled meat," while a reader's letter to an Indianapolis magazine, lamenting the unavailability of good cheesesteaks, wrote that "the mention of the Amoroso roll brought tears to my eyes." After commenting on the debates over types of cheese and "chopped steak or sliced," Risk and Insurance magazine declared "The only thing nearly everybody can agree on is that it all has to be piled onto a fresh, locally baked Amoroso roll."
, American cheese
, and Cheez Whiz
are the most commonly used cheeses.
White American cheese along with Provolone cheese are the favorites due to the mild flavor and medium consistency of American cheese. Some places pre-melt the American cheese to achieve the creamy consistency, while others just put freshly cut slices over the meat, letting it melt slightly under the heat. Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan says "Provolone is for aficionados, extra-sharp for the most discriminating among them." Geno's late owner, Joey Vento, said, "We always recommend the provolone. That's the real cheese."
Cheez Whiz
, first marketed in 1952, was not yet available for the original 1930 version, but has spread in popularity. A 1986 New York Times
article called Cheez Whiz
"the sine qua non
of cheesesteak connoisseurs." In a 1985 interview, Pat Olivieri's nephew Frank Olivieri said that he uses "the processed cheese spread familiar to millions of parents who prize speed and ease in fixing the children's lunch for the same reason, because it is fast." Cheez Whiz is "overwhelmingly the favorite" at Pat's, outselling runner-up American by a ratio of eight or ten to one, while Geno's claims to go through eight to ten cases of Cheez Whiz a day.
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
made from thinly-sliced pieces of steak
Steak
A steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole...
and melted cheese in a long roll. A popular regional fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
, it has its roots in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
History
The cheesesteak was developed in the early 20th century "by combining frizzled beef, onions, and cheese in a small loaf of bread," according to a 1987 exhibition catalog published by the Library Company of PhiladelphiaLibrary Company of Philadelphia
The Library Company of Philadelphia is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Benjamin Franklin as a library, the Library Company of Philadelphia has accumulated one of the most significant collections of historically valuable manuscripts and printed material in...
and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historical society founded in 1824 and based in Philadelphia. The Society's building, designed by Addison Hutton and listed on Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items...
.
Philadelphians Pat
Pat Olivieri
Pat Olivieri was an Italian-American restaurateur. He is credited, along with his brother, Harry Olivieri, as the 1930 co-creator of the Philly Cheesesteak...
and Harry Olivieri
Harry Olivieri
Harry M. Olivieri was an Italian-American restaurateur. He is credited, along with his brother, Pat Olivieri, as the co-creator of the Philly Cheesesteak in 1933...
are often credited with inventing the sandwich by serving chopped steak on hoagie rolls in the early 1930s. They began selling this variation of steak sandwich
Steak sandwich
A steak sandwich is a sandwich that is made out of steak that has been broiled, fried, grilled, barbecued or seared using steel grates or gridirons then served on bread or a roll...
es at their hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
stand near south Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
's Italian Market. They became so popular that Pat opened up his own restaurant which still operates today as Pat's King of Steaks. The sandwich was originally prepared without cheese, Olivieri claims provolone
Provolone
Provolone is an Italian cheese that originated in Southern Italy, where it is still produced in various shapes as in 10 to 15 cm long pear, sausage, or cone shapes. A variant of Provolone is also produced in North America and Japan...
cheese was first added by Joe "Cocky Joe" Lorenza, a manager at the Ridge Avenue location."
Pat's and Geno's Steaks
Geno's Steaks
Geno's Steaks is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, founded in 1966 by Joey Vento . Geno's is located in South Philadelphia at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, directly across the street from rival Pat's King of Steaks, which claims to have...
have a highly publicized rivalry. They are located across the street from each other on 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue
Passyunk Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Passyunk Square is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia bounded by Broad Street to the west, 6th Street to the east, Tasker Street to the south and Washington Avenue to the north. Passyunk Square is bordered by the Bella Vista, Hawthorne, Central South Philadelphia, Wharton and Point Breeze...
in South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
. Cheesesteaks have become popular in restaurants, cafeterias and food carts throughout the city with many locations being independently owned family run businesses. Variations of cheesesteaks are now common in several fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chains. Versions of the sandwich can also be found in locations ranging from bars to high-end restaurants.
Description
The meat traditionally used is thinly sliced rib-eye or top roundRound steak
A round steak is a steak from the round primal cut of beef. Specifically, a round steak is the eye round, bottom round, and top round still connected, with or without the "round" bone , and may include the knuckle , depending on how the round is separated from the loin. This is a lean cut and it...
, although other cuts of beef are also used. On a lightly oiled griddle
Griddle
A griddle is a cooking device consisting of a broad flat surface that can be heated using a variety of means, and is used in both residential and commercial applications for a variety of cooking operations. Most commonly, the griddle consists of a flat metal plate, but in the non-industrialized...
at medium temperature, the steak slices are quickly browned and then scrambled into smaller pieces with a flat spatula
Spatula
The term spatula is used to refer to various small implements with a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift materials including foods, drugs, plaster and paints...
. Slices of cheese are then placed over the meat, letting it melt, and then placing the roll on top of the cheese. The mixture is then scooped up with a spatula, pressed into the roll and cut in half.
Common additions include sautéed
Sautéing
Sautéing is a method of cooking food, that uses a small amount of fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Ingredients are usually cut into pieces or thinly sliced to facilitate fast cooking. The primary mode of heat transfer during sautéing is conduction between the pan and the food being...
onions
Fried onion
Fried onions or French fried onions are a popular snack food or garnish accompaniment to various recipes, made from pan frying or deep frying onions thus preparing them in a manner similar to that of French fried potatoes....
, bell pepper
Bell pepper
Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper and capsicum , is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum . Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as...
s, mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s, mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
, hot sauce
Hot sauce
Hot sauce, chili sauce or pepper sauce refers to any spicy sauce made from chili peppers and other ingredients.-Ingredients:There are many recipes for hot sauces - the common ingredient being any kind of peppers. A group of chemicals called capsaicinoids are responsible for the heat in chili peppers...
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
and ketchup
Ketchup
Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
.
Bread
In Philadelphia, most cheesesteak places use AmorosoAmoroso's Baking Company
Amoroso's Baking Company is a Philadelphia based, family-owned company that specializes in hearth baked breads and rolls. Over the years the Amoroso sandwich roll has become synonymous with those Philadelphia culinary institutions, the hoagie and the cheesesteak.-History:The company was founded in...
or Vilotti-Pisanelli rolls. One source writes that "a proper cheesesteak consists of provolone
Provolone
Provolone is an Italian cheese that originated in Southern Italy, where it is still produced in various shapes as in 10 to 15 cm long pear, sausage, or cone shapes. A variant of Provolone is also produced in North America and Japan...
or Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz is a thick processed cheese sauce or spread sold by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman and was first marketed in 1953....
slathered on an Amoroso roll and stuffed with thinly shaved grilled meat," while a reader's letter to an Indianapolis magazine, lamenting the unavailability of good cheesesteaks, wrote that "the mention of the Amoroso roll brought tears to my eyes." After commenting on the debates over types of cheese and "chopped steak or sliced," Risk and Insurance magazine declared "The only thing nearly everybody can agree on is that it all has to be piled onto a fresh, locally baked Amoroso roll."
Cheese
ProvoloneProvolone
Provolone is an Italian cheese that originated in Southern Italy, where it is still produced in various shapes as in 10 to 15 cm long pear, sausage, or cone shapes. A variant of Provolone is also produced in North America and Japan...
, American cheese
American cheese
American cheese is a processed cheese. It is orange, yellow, or white in color and mild in flavor, with a medium-firm consistency, and melts easily. American cheese was originally only white, but is usually now modified to yellow. In the past it was made from a blend of cheeses, most often Colby...
, and Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz is a thick processed cheese sauce or spread sold by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman and was first marketed in 1953....
are the most commonly used cheeses.
White American cheese along with Provolone cheese are the favorites due to the mild flavor and medium consistency of American cheese. Some places pre-melt the American cheese to achieve the creamy consistency, while others just put freshly cut slices over the meat, letting it melt slightly under the heat. Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan says "Provolone is for aficionados, extra-sharp for the most discriminating among them." Geno's late owner, Joey Vento, said, "We always recommend the provolone. That's the real cheese."
Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz is a thick processed cheese sauce or spread sold by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman and was first marketed in 1953....
, first marketed in 1952, was not yet available for the original 1930 version, but has spread in popularity. A 1986 New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
article called Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz is a thick processed cheese sauce or spread sold by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman and was first marketed in 1953....
"the sine qua non
Sine qua non
Sine qua non or condicio sine qua non refers to an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient...
of cheesesteak connoisseurs." In a 1985 interview, Pat Olivieri's nephew Frank Olivieri said that he uses "the processed cheese spread familiar to millions of parents who prize speed and ease in fixing the children's lunch for the same reason, because it is fast." Cheez Whiz is "overwhelmingly the favorite" at Pat's, outselling runner-up American by a ratio of eight or ten to one, while Geno's claims to go through eight to ten cases of Cheez Whiz a day.
Variations
- A cheesesteak made with chicken instead of beef is called a chicken cheesesteak.
- A cheesesteak topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese (often toasted in a broiler) is a pizza steak.
- Another variation is the cheesesteak hoagie, which contains lettuce and tomato.
- The Lehigh ValleyLehigh ValleyThe Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
region of Pennsylvania is also known for its own style of cheesesteaks. Typically, these feature a special tomato-based steak sauce, onions, pickles, and peppers.
See also
- Hoagie
- Italian BeefItalian beefAn Italian beef is a sandwich of thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices, on a dense, long Italian-style roll, believed to have originated in Chicago, where its history dates back at least to the 1930s...
- Steak sandwichSteak sandwichA steak sandwich is a sandwich that is made out of steak that has been broiled, fried, grilled, barbecued or seared using steel grates or gridirons then served on bread or a roll...
- List of sandwiches