"PhillyCheeseSteak" news and stories

It's funny. A Philly Cheesesteak, or variety thereof, is a popular part of our fast-food culture ... but do you ever try to whip it up at home? It's one of the easiest and quickest meals you can make -- save maybe some cold cuts on a slice of bread.

A cheesesteak is simply sliced beef, onions, peppers, and possibly mushrooms sauteed and slathered in cheese. The only spices and additional flavors are salt, pepper, and garlic. Slice everything quite thin, saute, season, and pile on a piece of bread. That's it!

The easiest way to accomplish this is to quickly slice up half moons of onions and strips of pepper and saute them while you quickly slice the beef (as thin as you possibly can -- meaning that you should have a decently sharp knife, serated won't cut it!). The veggies should be done quickly, since they're thinly cut. When they're soft, take them out of the pan, quickly saute the beef, and then add the veggies back in with the cheese. When it's all a melted mass, it's ready for the bread. Viola!

Hardee's remained a distant memory of my East Coast childhood until the third day of a road trip last summer. We were on the way to a KCBS barbecue competition and paused to eat what we all agreed was the best fast-food breakfast sandwich ever. Why no one else has come up with something as tasty as the Grilled Pork Chop Biscuit is beyond me.

Out of gluttonous machismo I also tried the Thickburger. A third of a pound of fast-food beef  was plenty for me. Now, picture the very same patty capped with a Philly cheesesteak.

Source

Our correspondent, Kara Chiles, sent us this report. Kara is an editor, freelance writer, media junkie and shameless consumer of high art, low culture, comfort food, elegant design and excellent shoes. You can write to her by way of karachiles1 AT aol.com

You hear about classic rivalries and think surely they’re blown out of proportion. The Hatfields and McCoys waved to each other in passing, right? If Maria & Tony could bridge the Jet-Shark divide in ‘West Side Story,’ can’t we all? Not so much in Philly, where cheese steak loyalty can halt a cocktail party.

While visiting friends last weekend, I decided it was time for a true Philly Cheese Steak-Off. To keep things semi-legit: all sandwiches were the same – a classic Wiz Wit (that’s Cheese Whiz “Wit” onions) and all had to be eaten at time of purchase (hot & fresh being crucial). With those “rules,” I felt free to ignore the screaming of my digestive tracks and dive in.

Herewith, the results: