Philly Cheesesteak with Long Hot Pepper Relish

Most cheesesteak recipes tell you to slice the beef thin and then never tell you how. The usual result is chewy strips that steam in a crowded pan and turn gray.

Our honest tip up front: put the ribeye in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes before you slice it. That one step decides whether you get shaved beef or stew meat. Get the slices to 1/16 inch and they brown in under a minute on hot cast iron.

We make ours with a quick homemade cheese sauce in place of the jar, and one deliberate addition: a long hot relish. Long hots are slim, hot Philadelphia peppers, and their vinegar relish cuts the fat. Hot cherry peppers work too.

Why this recipe works

• Partial freezing makes thin slicing possible. A firm, half frozen ribeye lets a home chef knife cut slices close to what a deli slicer produces.
• Two batches on high heat. Thin beef in a single layer browns. Piled high, it boils in its own juice.
• Doneness by sight, not probe. We explain what color and fond tell you, since a thermometer cannot help here.
• A cheese sauce that will not split. American cheese brings its own emulsifier, so a 3 minute sauce pours like whiz but tastes of cheddar.
• Long hot relish for contrast. Vinegar and heat lift a sandwich that is otherwise beef and fat on bread.

Which cut to buy for a Philly cheesesteak

Buy boneless ribeye. It comes from the ribeye roll subprimal, and its internal marbling melts in seconds on the griddle, which keeps shaved beef juicy even when it is cooked through. It is what most Philadelphia shops use.

The budget alternative is top round. It costs roughly half as much as ribeye but carries little fat, so add an extra tablespoon of tallow. Top sirloin sits between the two.

Avoid packaged stir fry beef; it is cut too thick and with the grain. See our beef guide.

Ingredients

For the steak

• 1.5 lb (680 g) boneless ribeye steak
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) black pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) beef tallow or a neutral high heat oil
• 1 large yellow onion (10 oz, 285 g), thinly sliced
• 4 soft hoagie rolls, about 8 inches (20 cm) long
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, softened

For the cheese sauce

• 4 oz (115 g) white American cheese, torn
• 2 oz (55 g) sharp white cheddar, grated
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) evaporated milk

For the long hot relish

• 6 oz (170 g) long hot peppers or hot cherry peppers
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

Substitutions: swap the cheese sauce for 8 slices (8 oz, 225 g) of sharp provolone laid over the meat in the pan for the last 30 seconds. Warmed Cheez Whiz works too. Butter can replace tallow, and chopped jarred cherry peppers can replace the relish.

Method

1. Make the long hot relish

Stem and finely chop the peppers with the garlic. Simmer the vinegar, sugar and salt, pour it over, add the olive oil and leave 20 minutes so the vinegar softens the skins.

2. Firm up the beef in the freezer

Set the ribeye on a metal tray, uncovered, and freeze 30 to 45 minutes until the outside is stiff but the center still gives. Fully frozen beef fights the knife.

3. Slice paper thin

Cut across the grain into slices about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) thick with long strokes. Spread them on the tray, season with salt and pepper, and keep cold.

4. Make the cheese sauce

Toss both cheeses with the cornstarch. Warm the evaporated milk until it steams, then stir in the cheese a handful at a time with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. The emulsifying salts in American cheese keep it from splitting. Hold on low.

5. Cook the onions

Heat a 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tallow. Cook the onion 8 to 10 minutes until golden at the edges, then move it to a plate.

6. Toast the rolls

Butter the split faces and toast them in the skillet for about 1 minute. A crisp face stops the sauce soaking through.

7. Sear and chop the steak

Raise the heat to high until a water drop skitters. Add the remaining tallow and half the beef in one layer. Leave it 45 seconds, then flip and chop with two metal spatulas for 30 to 45 seconds until no red remains and brown fond forms. Scrape the fond in. Repeat.

8. Combine and build

Fold the meat and onions together in four rows. Spoon on cheese sauce, set a roll over each row and flip it in with a spatula. Top with more sauce and drained relish.

Why a thermometer cannot judge cheesesteak doneness

We probe nearly everything, but a slice 1/16 inch thick has no center for a Thermapen to find. The tip is wider than the meat, and the slice passes 160F within seconds.

So the gauge is visual. The underside turns deep brown in about 45 seconds. After the flip, the last red streaks go tan, and a brown film called fond builds on the iron. Red gone and fond present means done. Pull it now.

What ruins a cheesesteak is two extra minutes after this point while the juice evaporates. Ribeye forgives that. Top round turns to sawdust.

Slicing thin is a technique, not a convenience

Recipes call freezing the beef a handy trick. It is the whole method. Raw ribeye compresses under a knife and tears into ragged slices. Partial freezing stiffens the outer inch so the blade shears clean.

Use the longest, sharpest blade you own. Our notes on when to reach for a chef knife apply here. Use long pull strokes on a heavy wood cutting board. If the meat softens, refreeze it ten minutes.

Even slices also cook evenly. Mixed thicknesses mean thin pieces overcook while thick ones finish. Uniform slices finish together in about 90 seconds on a cast iron skillet.

Cooking with grass fed ribeye

Grass fed and pasture raised ribeye usually carries less marbling than grain finished beef. The flavor is deeper, but on a griddle it behaves closer to sirloin. Add an extra tablespoon (15 ml) of tallow so the slices have fat to fry in, and pull the meat 10 to 15 seconds sooner, the moment the red disappears. Better still, trim the fat cap and render it in the skillet before the onions, then cook the beef in that fat.

Pro tips and common mistakes

• Do not crowd the pan. Two batches keep the iron hot.
• Use metal spatulas. Two stiff metal spatulas chop cleanly. See our non plastic kitchen utensils.
• Pick a soft roll with a thin crust. A crusty baguette squeezes the filling out; Amoroso style hoagie rolls give.
• Drain the relish. Vinegar soaks the bread.

Troubleshooting

Symptom: Gray meat sitting in liquid. Cause: The pan was not hot enough or held too much beef at once. Fix: Pour off the liquid and cook smaller batches over higher heat.

Symptom: Tough, chewy strips. Cause: Slices too thick or cut with the grain. Fix: Freeze the meat longer and slice across the grain; chop it finer with the spatulas.

Symptom: Grainy or oily cheese sauce. Cause: Heat too high, or no American cheese in the mix. Fix: Off the heat, whisk in a splash of evaporated milk and a slice of American.

Storage and leftovers

Store leftover meat and onions in a glass container in the fridge up to 3 days, and reheat for 1 minute in a hot skillet. The cheese sauce keeps 4 days; the relish keeps 2 weeks in a glass jar.

What to serve with a Philly cheesesteak

• Crinkle cut fries or thick potato chips.
• A sharp vinegar coleslaw with no mayonnaise.
• Dill pickle spears and extra long hot relish on the side.
• A cold lager or birch beer.

Try our beef stroganoff with wild mushrooms and dill and our guide to pan searing.

Nutrition (estimate per serving, 4 servings): 1105 calories, 53 g protein, 72 g fat, 61 g carbohydrate. Estimated from the ingredient list and yield, not a lab value.

Frequently asked questions

Is a cheesesteak supposed to be pink inside?

No. Slices this thin cook through in about a minute. Judge by browning and juiciness, not a pink center.

Can I use a thermometer on cheesesteak meat?

Not usefully. A probe cannot read a slice 1/16 inch thick, and it passes 160F within seconds. Use color and fond instead.

What cheese do Philly shops use?

Cheez Whiz, white American and provolone are the usual orders. Our sauce pours like whiz but tastes of cheddar.

Should a Philly cheesesteak have peppers?

Onions are standard and bell peppers are optional. We use long hot relish for acid and heat against the fat.

Can I make cheesesteak meat ahead?

Slice and season the beef up to a day ahead and refrigerate it in a glass dish. Cook it only when the rolls are ready.

Where to buy the meat

Buy a center cut boneless ribeye in one piece from a local rancher. Our Find a Farmer directory lists beef producers who sell direct.