Friday, February 18, 2011

Philly Cheese Steaks

So, I totally wasn't one of those bloggers posting a V-Day themed recipe. My apologies. Next year, I promise to be more festive :)

Most years on Valentine's Day, at least since I've learned to cook, I make Jon a yummy meal as part of my gift. This year I was going to do Beef Wellington and Red Velvet Cupcakes. Well, Jon declared that it was his year to cook for me! I was a little apprehensive because, well, do we remember the cookie incident? I shut my mouth, though, and sat my arse down on our epic new recliner and watched him put my Stuffed Chicken and Alfredo Sauce recipe together. We had a small setback, which was that we had no cream cheese. With a little coaching, he was able to make it work anyways. The meal came out delicious, and I was so proud of him for taking the initiative to do this for me. It does go to show that ANYONE can cook, because if you met us two pathetic cooks four years ago, you wouldn't have expected us to pull off hamburger helper. Here's a picture of the delicious meal:


And here's some pictures of our gifts to each other. If you notice, no flowers. I told Jon a long time ago not to waste money on roses for me. I'm just not that type of girl. I prefer chocolate. This year, I got Godiva chocolate, which is, in my opinion, the best there is. He also got me a Pandora charm to add to my bracelet, its the cute red and pink heart glass bead. ADORABLE! I got him some kettle corn popcorn, chocolate, root beer freeze pops and a shutterfly photo book.




Moving on to the deliciousness of this Philly Cheese Steak recipe... Since Jon had cooked a delicious meal for me, I decided I would make him an epic lunch on my day off. We had lived in South Jersey for six months when Jon was in school for Commercial Diving. Our favorite part of living in South Jersey, was the short ride to Philly. Philly is the most amazing city and their cheese steaks are every bit as delicious as everyone makes them out to be. If you are ever traveling through that area, stop and get Geno's, I preferred them over Pat's. When you order a cheese steak, there's a method to how you order it. Rumor is that if you don't order it correctly, you get sent to the back of the line. Luckily, we had a few friends down there to show us the way. I always ordered mine "Whiz, without". This meant my cheese selection was Cheese Whiz, and "without" meant no onions. This was in 2005, before I discovered my love for onions. Jon always ordered his American, without. I decided when making our at home version, I would make an American cheese sauce, a compromise between American and Whiz. This recipe yields enough for 4 cheese steaks. You will have leftover cheese sauce, and you will not be mad at me for it. This cheese sauce is a staple in my family for pasta dinners or to eat like soup, haha. Just kidding about the last part, but it's seriously killer on pasta.


4 sub rolls, lightly toasted, if desired
1 lb flank steak, chopped into small slices
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter

Marinade:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cheese Sauce:
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup milk
8 oz American cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt

In a medium mixing bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Toss steak in marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes- 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt butter on medium heat on stove top. Whisk flour in until there are no clumps. Add in milk. Allow to heat for 1-2 minutes and then reduce heat to low-medium. Add cheese in a couple slices at a time and allow to melt. Add in Parmesan cheese and salt. Stir until thickened. Spread cheese sauce on toasted sub rolls.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil and butter on medium-high heat. Add in marinated meat. Season with more salt and pepper. Allow to cook through, about 5-6 minutes until browned. Place steak on sub rolls, add desired condiments and enjoy!

Note: you will have some yummy juices and butter left in your skillet from cooking the steak. Use these to make a gravy or even just as a dipping sauce. Wouldn't want you to waste it :)

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