I’m kind of picky about my cheesesteak sandwiches. We have one sub shop on the island that has the best rendition. A few times I’ve tried to recreate them at home – they weren’t good. I suspect that it was the cut of beef I was using – usually a New York strip or ribeye, and they were just usually too chewy no matter how thinly I sliced.
Then I came across this recipe in last month’s Cooking Light (which, by the way…did anyone else dog-ear 92% of the magazine like I did?) and couldn’t wait to try it. I’d come across a 12 lb box of boneless short ribs at my local restaurant supply for an extremely reasonable price so it was perfect timing. The beef is seared and then rests while you get your peppers and onions going for topping.
And, the cheese sauce. Sharp cheddar and Dijon mustard in an ooey-gooey sauce? It doesn’t get any better than that kids. Pour any leftovers into a little serving dish on the side – perfect for dipping fries into. Or, just eat it with a spoon – I promise not to hold it against you…
Short Rib Cheesesteak Subs
1 French baguette
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup vertically sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into strips
12 ounces boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Preheat broiler to high.
Cut bread in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Hollow out tops and bottoms of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell. Place bread halves on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Broil 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes to cook out the flour flavor, then slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Once mixture thickens, stir in the cheese until melted.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Remove onion mixture from pan; keep warm. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.
Divide beef mixture evenly among bottom halves of bread; top with onion mixture. Drizzle cheese sauce evenly over sandwiches. Top with top halves of bread; cut each sandwich in half.
Source: adapted from Cooking Light, May 2013
