Pimento Cheese Cheesesteaks

Sports and great food have gone together since the bread and circuses days of Rome. Back in ‘22 I was living next door to a Philadelphia Eagles / 76ers transplant, and the Eagles were having a heck of a run. At the start of the playoffs, we began a tradition of eating Philly Cheesesteaks prior to playoff games. And as the Super Bowl approached, I decided to call an audible with a Southern inspired take on Philly tradition.

Y’all enjoy these Pimento Cheese Cheesesteaks; AKA the Way, Way South of Philly Special. Make a few extra, give one to a neighbor this weekend, and enjoy the time together. And shoutout to my guy Brian back in Nashville, we miss y’all everyday.

Let’s get supper on the table.

Grocery List	Recipe Quantity
1 lb of boneless ribeye steak	1 lb of steak (thinly sliced)
1 Yellow Onion	1 Onion sliced into long strips
1 pack of 6” Hoagie Rolls	2-4 Hoagie Rolls
1 container of Pimento Cheese	1 Cup of Cheese
Salt and Pepper	Salt and Pepper for Seasoning
Olive Oil	2 TBS of Olive Oil
1-2 beers (or drink of choice)	1-2 beers (or drink of choice)

COMMANDMENTS

CAST IRON COMMANDMENTS https://castironsoul.com/cast-iron-cooking-ethos/

Commandment #10 – Stages of heat; Hottest = oil smoking

Commandment #13 – Cast iron can take normal foods and vastly improve them. Try making a sandwich and putting everything on the skillet at least once.

Commandment #24 – Let food share the same skillet. It helps blend the flavors together.

Cookware: 10.5 Cast Iron Skillet

Y’all, I trust this skillet more than I trust my car. If the house were burning down, I would grab all my loved ones, then the wedding photos, and then come back and find this skillet and then my class ring. I can’t exaggerate how often I use this, how many different types of dishes I make with it, how it’s seen me through the lows and the highs of adulthood. I’ve been cooking with this skillet since before my kid was born and she’s got a miniature version of her own. I trust people more when I know they have a cast iron skillet.

This skillet won’t cook everything for you (soups, chilis, etc), but it will open the door to all of your cooking possibilities. Just get one and embrace the cast iron way of life.

HOLD MY BEER – PREPARATION

**PRE-PREP** – Place the packaged steak in the freezer for 1-2 hours prior to cooking. This will allow you to get a thin slice with your knife.

Slice the onions in an orientation that allows you to get long strips. Reference the photos below for clarity.

1. Cut the onion in half through the root.
2. Place on the flat side. Slice straight down for a half moon-shaped onion slice.
3. Using your hands, separate the pieces from each other. Put the long pieces in a bowl for use.
4. Repeat with the other onion half.

After the onions are cut, slice the red pepper in long strips about as wide as your pinky finger. Remove the core, any seeds, and discard.

Remove the steak from the freezer. Remove any packaging and pat dry using paper towels. Setup with a cutting board and a SHARP knife. This is essential to get thin cut strips of meat in a Philly cheesesteak style.

Line the steak up longways on the cutting board, and cut as thin of a piece as you are safely able to. Each strip should be about the thickness of a driver’s license. Slice carefully and lay out each slice on another tray. Place the meat tray back in the freezer until later.

LIGHT THIS CANDLE – START COOKIN’

Crack open that first beer. This will be a fun one.

Take your skillet and turn the heat up to 5. Place 1 TBS of olive oil in the pan and wait until it spreads to coat evenly. Place the onions in and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside*.

*I like to set cooked items aside in a different skillet on low heat and covered. This allows it to stay warm easily.

Place the red pepper in and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes or soft. Remove from skillet and set aside*.

Now that your vegetables are done, quickly wipe the skillet with a paper towel. Place 1 Tbs of olive oil in the skillet. Turn the heat up to 6 and wait until the oil starts smoking. Remove the steak from the freezer while the oil is heating up.

Season your steak slices with salt and pepper. Once the oil is smoking, place the strips in the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side and then flip over. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until both sides are browned. Remove from the skillet and set cooked pieces aside to keep warm. Repeat this step until all of the meat is cooked.

CAST IRON TIP – Manage the temperature so that there is always a strong sizzle of steak but not a plume of smoke from burned meat. I turn the burner completely off and then back on throughout to regulate the temperature.

Turn the stovetop off. Combine the onions, peppers, and steak and mix together in the skillet. Let sit for 2 minutes for the flavors to meld together.

Slice the hoagie roll longways but not all the way through. You should have one piece of bread with a pocket in the middle section. Load the mixed ingredients into the pocket and spread pimento cheese on top. Let rest or place aluminum foil on top to keep warm.

Pat yourself on the back for pulling off such a great meal, and tell everyone to grab one. Serve with a side salad, crackers, and more pimento cheese.

Hope you enjoy, please share the recipe around. Y’all be good.