Steak to use in a cheesesteak

[NulloModo]

Hiya,

So, if I wanted to prepare an authenticish cheesesteak at home, what kind of steak should I buy to do it? I have googled and seen Ribeye, top round, and sirloin all mentioned. The general consensus (and I agree) is that Steak-um is not an acceptable solution.

However, cheesesteaks tend to use a good deal of meat, and aren't that pricey. Ribeye is pricey, so I am wondering if that is what the places up in Philadelphia really use. Anyone want to shed some light on this for me? What type of steak, and how to slice/chop/etc to get that really authentic result?

[Andrew Fenton]

You might try shaved beef from Trader Joe's. I've had it in straccetti con rughetta: it was great for that, and I don't see why it wouldn't be good for cheesesteaks. I don't know the price, but from TJ's, it can't be too expensive.

[NulloModo]

Hmm, I might have to give that a try. I am not against paying for Ribeye, if that is what the places actually use, I didn't want to give the wrong impression. I just never thought they took actual good steak quality meat and chopped it all up for cheesesteaks...

[Dave the Cook]

My brother-in-law and his son, both of them born and raised in Philadelphia, run a chain of hoagie shops in a western US city. When I was out there last summer, I asked him this question, and he told me they used ribeye. Doubt must have showed on my face, because he tugged my arm and took me to the walk-in freezer. Inside were at least 25 boneless, lip-on ribeye subprimals. They freeze them to make the slicing easier (he demonstrated this for me, too). When I asked him about the cost, he showed me the scale, marked with red nail polish at the appropriate weight, that they use for portion control.

Hint: it's less than you think.

[=Mark]

I use boneless ribeye sliced like a quarter to a third of an inch thick.

[fiftydollars]

...When I asked him about the cost, he showed me the scale, marked with red nail polish at the appropriate weight, that they use for portion control.

Hint: it's less than you think.

Don't leave me in suspense! How much do they use?

[NulloModo]

Hmm, so ribeye it is...

I know my knife won't slice a frozen steak, but my food processor has a cool new spinning slicing blad I've been dying to try out. Cheesesteaks here I possibly come...

[Rachel Perlow]

Do you have a Korean supermarket near you? Look in the meat section, for bulgogi. It's nice and thin ribeye, already sliced. Just cook in a searing hot cast iron skillet or griddle, with peppers & onions, instead of a sweet marinade.

[fiftydollars]

Hmm, so ribeye it is...

I know my knife won't slice a frozen steak, but my food processor has a cool new spinning slicing blad I've been dying to try out. Cheesesteaks here I possibly come...

I find that you don't have to freeze it solid to get thin slices. Just an hour in your average home freezer (-10 f or so) will make it solid enough to slice it as thinly as you could want. I'm pretty sure I couldn't slice a steak that's been frozen solid by hand and I am not so sure that my kitchenaid food processor ( http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=45446 ) could either...

If you try it, let me know how that works.

[herbacidal]

I know my knife won't slice a frozen steak, but my food processor has a cool new spinning slicing blad I've been dying to try out. Cheesesteaks here I possibly come...

If you're referring to my comment about premade slices, you don't need that good a knife.

After you put it on the grill (in the frying pan?), you just break it up with your utensil of choice.

They're basically less than a quarter of an inch thick.

[AlaMoi]

>>Copies of the steak sandwich, typically outside of Philadelphia, were rib eyes.

 

there's an exception to every rule.

 

http://www.genosteaks.com/about/

 

"

The ingredients are simple and never greasy – thinly sliced rib-eye steak, melted cheese, oven-fresh baked bread and delicately grilled onions. Awaiting your piping hot sandwich on the counter outside are ketchup, mustard, and relish.

"

[palo]

fiftydollars wrote:  "I am not so sure that my kitchenaid food processor could either" 

 

I was going to add the same comment, frozen solid meat would probably require a bandsaw, I doubt even a meat slicer would work.

 

p

[AlaMoi]

it's not frozen frozen.  it's partially thawed.  and it works duck soup easy.

 

chilling any meat to near frozen makes for a stiffer mass which one can cut/slice/dice/mince by manual or machine means much easier and much more consistent.

[ElsieD]

Our local Asian store sells thinly sliced beef, actually, shaved would be more accurate. It is rib eye and the slices are rolled up. Would this be the meat to use?