There were not one, but two things that led to the recipe I selected for today’s “Tasty Tuesdays” post. The first of these was going through “my” freezer and creating an inventory of everything in it. In doing so, I noticed that I had several packages of beef that were quickly reaching their “use by” dates. The second was an advertisement for Hardee’s (or Carl’s Junior, as the restaurant chain is better known to me) that I found in a “package” of junk mail I receive in my P.O. Box far too often. While perusing the various ads for fast food restaurants, I spotted Hardee’s “New Philly Cheesesteak Menu”, which had a picture of something that reminded me of the “original Philly Cheesesteak — a sandwich (or san’ich, as I like to say) with shredded beef, sauteed green peppers and onions, slices of cheese all on a French roll. This reminded me that I had some beef in the freezer that could be cooked and shredded for this purpose. In addition, I already had the cheese, green peppers, and onions on hand since they’re two of the most-often-used ingredients in my kitchen. The only thing I needed was the French rolls.
Other than not having the French rolls, the only other problem that remained was I wasn’t quite sure how to cook the beef I had in the freezer, so I started thumbing through some of my cookbooks (in search of another recipe, actually). Fortuitously, I came across a recipe for “Easy Beef Sandwiches”, which was basically what I had in mind when I was thinking about my Philly Cheesesteak san’iches. This recipe includes the beef, cheese, and rolls, but not the main thing that I think makes it a “Philly Cheesesteak” — the green peppers and onions! So, I used this recipe as a starting point (i.e. the directions for cooking the meat I have in the freezer) and then added the grilled green peppers and onions when assembling the Philly Cheesesteak san’ich.
Without further ado, here’s the original recipe for “Easy Beef Sandwiches”:
Easy Beef Sandwiches
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 boneless beef bottom round roast (about 3 to 5 pounds)
- 1 cup water
- 1 package (about 1 ounce) au jus gravy mix
- French rolls, sliced lengthwise
- Provolone cheese (optional)
- Place onion slices in bottom of CROCK-POT slow cooker, top with beef. Stir water into gravy mix in a small bowl; pour over beef. Cover; cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours.
- Remove beef from CROCK-POT slow cooker; shred meat using two forks. Serve on French rolls, topped with cheese, if desired. Serve cooking liquid on the side for dipping.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
To turn this recipe into one for Philly Cheesesteak san’iches, simply saute some green peppers and onion slices in your preferred fat. I tend to use olive oil, but you can use “regular” oil (canola, etc.) or even butter. Once the veggies are done, add some of the shredded beef and the Provolone cheese. While the cheese is melting, take a moment to toast the buttered rolls (3 to 5 minutes in a 400 degree F oven). At this point, mix the melted cheese into the mixture and then transfer onto the toasted rolls. Serve with the cooking liquid from the CROCK-POT as a dipping sauce.
By the way, serving the cooking liquid (the “au jus”) with the san’ich reminded me of some fond childhood memories of mine: On special occasions, my family and I went to a restaurant called “Sam’s Hof Brau” in Sacramento. The san’iches that I remember most from there were the “French Dip” san’iches that were served with “au jus” for dipping — though it was usually Dad and my sister who got those san’iches. I can’t really remember what Mom and I would order, but I do remember standing — plate in hand — in front of a man wearing the tallest white hat I’d ever seen and holding two knives in his hands. After I told him what kind of meat I wanted (probably either corned beef, ham, roast beef or turkey), he got to work slicing up the big chunk of meat in front of him, his knives moving so fast I didn’t see ’em again until he had plunked some juicy slices of meat on my plate. After thanking him (as my parents taught my sister and I to do), the man with the tall hat and knives would smile and wink at me before I left the head of the line — probably nudged forward by either Mom or my sister. So many wonderful memories were made at Sam’s Hof Brau — a restaurant that is STILL in business AND back in the hands of the family of Sam Gordon, the man who founded the restaurant back in 1959, who is determined to maintain its authenticity. The next time I’m in the Sacramento area, I’ll have to make a point to stop in, so I can recreate those childhood memories.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another Philly Cheesesteak san’ich to make!