I'm starting a new feature. It's called Ask Auntie Leila (unless you want to ask Bridget, Deirdre, Sukie, Rosie, or Habou — then it's called Ask {insert rank and name here}).
You can ask us anything you want. You can email me at leilamarielawler (at) gmail.com, or you can ask a question in the comments. There have already been several questions and I will get to them — such questions as —
— How did you short out your building when you were first married?
— Do you spank a spirited three-year old three times a day?
— How do you manage time?
See? Like that.
Today we are addressing my friend Susan from Delaware who went to college with me (or I went with her — she was a senior when I was a freshman at Swarthmore, a college near Philly where every person just wants a cheesesteak already).
She is a smart lady with eight children who tends to email me and go, “No, but exactly how do you make cheesesteaks?” and isn't satisfied until I tell her how sharp my knife is, how hot my pan is, and how long it takes me.
She made me write out the whole procedure and send it to her, so now I am telling you.
{If you ask me a question I won't divulge all these details about you unless I know you and feel like embarrassing you on the internets, and I won't put your question on the blog unless you say I can — Susan said I could.}
{Susan, I used my new Shun knife — a birthday present from Nick. I use it for everything. It's SO sharp!! Awesome.}
I'll put the actual recipe at the bottom of this post.
Get a nice piece of sirloin on sale and start cutting it into thin slices — but they don't have to be super-thin, because this meat is tender.
If you were using a less tender piece, you would have to make your slices quite thin, and you could even do that in your food processor with the slicing blade and the meat partially frozen. Shaved would be good in that case.
Start frying it up in a HOT salted pan, little or no grease, on HIGH heat. Your cast iron pan doesn't need grease; your stainless steel pan does.
Don't be afraid and don't put it in all at once. Do it in batches and be patient. This is a good meal to start cooking earlier in the day so that you have plenty of time for these steps. It isn't a quick meal, really…but it's fairly cheap, especially when compared with the restaurant version!
For eight cheesesteaks I paid $6.95 for the meat ($2.49 for sirloin is an excellent price hereabouts, and I bought three for the freezer), $3.50 for the buns ($1.99 for a package of 6 — these are the buns that satisfy the “take-out” taste, and don't have high-fructose corn syrup, although they do have some soy flour, boo), and I can't remember about the cheese but it was on sale and I had a coupon from Jen's site.
Maybe $1 for 12 slices? So a total of under $12 for eight hearty sandwiches — $1.50 per serving!! It's not bean soup, but it is a good alternative to eating out.
As you saute your meat, transfer it to a bowl. When you are done, add salt, pepper, mustard, a little soy sauce, and about two tablespoons of corn starch.
This will all mix with the juices at the bottom of the bowl to make a nice coating on your meat.
As you are waiting for your meat to cook, slice up onions and mushrooms.
I did all my mushrooms to Save A Step for pizzas tonight. Mushrooms at my cheap grocery store are about a dollar a pound cheaper for the nice, big, stuffing ones that they sell in bulk, loose, than for the packaged little ones.
Go figure.
I buy about 6 huge ones every time I go, because every week I'll have plenty of use for them — they are just as much staples as carrots and celery at the bulk price!
Get a kid to slice your bread for you and put it on a flat baking sheet, preferably one blackened with age 🙂
Toss on your meat. One layer of not-too-thin slices is plenty with some overlapping.
Get another kid to unwrap the cheese for you. Layer on the cheese, breaking the pieces to fit. I use about 1 1/2 slices per sandwich.
Wrap the whole shebang in foil. Here is where those pieces of foil you've stashed away come in handy.
Have a kid hold your lamp for the photos on an evening when there was no sun and hasn't been for quite a while, not that the sod is complaining… Oh, Will, you are so good to me…
Put in the oven at 350* for 10 minutes. That meat has to heat up and the sauce has to kind of cook around it…
Meanwhile, the sides.
Ladies, when you are feeding a frenzy of sharks (growing kids), you need to serve your food with hearty sides.
This is how you get away with buying sirloin: you make it work with other tasty, less expensive foods. In other circumstances this meal would have come with oven fries, which are simply russet potatoes cut in wedges, tossed with oil, and roasted at a high heat (making the oven perfect for the finishing off of the cheesesteaks).
But with only a few people around and the teenage boy getting most of his calories at the golf club that employs him (thank you golf club!!!), we dispensed with the potatoes this time.
Instead we had a yummy glorified cole slaw!
To your base of cabbage (the last of the red in this case, 'cause it's pretty) and carrots (two small ones — I'm almost out), add red onion chopped very small, leftover corn, and granny smith apple.
Mix in two tablespoons of vinegar, any kind. Thanks, Bridget, for taking good pictures while both my hands were busy!
Add two tablespoons of mayonnaise.
Add a teaspoon of cumin (my favorite) or coriander (I don't know where I put my cumin!! but coriander is good too) and a spoonful of sugar or honey.
Mix well.
This was so tasty! Make extra corn next time just so you can make this delicious salad!
If you have younger kids, cut the sandwiches in half or even thirds. They can be messy (the sandwiches…well, and the kids…) and they are really very filling.
Can you even resist? Add Philly Cheesesteaks to your personal Family Menu Bank if you think everyone would like it.
Enjoy with a glass of iced tea…
And eat while watching the Red Sox cream the evil Yankees!
Philly Cheesesteaks Like Mother, Like Daughter
Thanks to Ann Kroeker for the link on Food on Fridays!
Thanks to Amy at The Finer Things!
Thanks to Melissa at The Inspired Room!
Thanks to Gayle at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
Now go see what people are doing over at those lovey ladies'!
Decadent Housewife says
Yes. I'll someday get back to the kitchen. Presently being eaten alive by a pesky Husqvarna. This is the push I needed.
MomE says
My stomach is seriously thunder grumbling! WOW! I'm making the salad tonight to go with pork chops! I'm not showing this to my sweet hubs…or I'll have to go buy sirloin! HA!
Rosie says
I made these recently at Little Gidding with some London broil (top round roast? I don't remember what the cut was, exactly) that I'd bought wicked on sale and frozen. I sliced it thinner than usual, and put the sauce (or a version of it… we were almost out of soy sauce, so I improvised, as usual) on it before cooking, as a little marinade. We made them to go on our sesame seed buns leftover from Sister Cindy's party – I literally bought twice as many as I needed for pulled pork sandwiches (for 14!), despite Philip helping me think out how many we should buy while we were at the store. We still have a package of them in the freezer.Anyway, they were delish!
Rachel says
Oh My. Yum-me! We do "sub" sandwiches at home, but I never thought to do philly! I admit, I buy the steak-ums in the freezer section and eat it on toasted regular bread with sauteed onions and bell peppers.. so I imagine your sandwiches to be off the chart! Must.make.this.soon.
Briana says
That looks yummy. This would be a great meal for us. I could do an easy low carb version for me and not have to cook two meals. Thanks!
Sue says
Oh.my.goddness. My mouth is watering! In Japan, beef is the most expensive meat by far, but I'm tucking this away for a day when I find a good sale. I will definitely try the salad ASAP.
entropy says
Questions! I've got questions!How did/do you divy up housework? (charts? zones? times? grab whomever happens to be walking by?)Do you always speak sweetly?How do you deal with emerging teens (attitudes)? And, for my future reference, with teens?How often did you ask your older children to help with the littles? (and please do not tell me that your family was always so blissful that they were always willing to help…if that's the case just skip it, please!) How much do you control in terms of tv, friends, going out, etc? I'm not really worried about this one for our own family; it's just curiosity. It's so interesting to see other people's lives and values.I'm so inspired and refreshed by your common sense!
Pearl Maple says
Yumm!You do know how to spin a great story out of a recipe, thanks for sharing, really appreciate your creative inspiration and your blog banner is just darling.
Becky says
Those look wonderful!Thanks for all the links to the other great blogs too.
Sandy says
Yummy – even step by step. Great blog!Thanks for visiting me over at Inspired Rm today!
Leila says
Entropy dear, I can't answer all these questions at once. You must read the whole blog from the beginning unto the far-off future to know all you ask.But — Do I always speak sweetly??Did you read the last post??
Suki says
Oooh, oooh, somebody ask me a question!!!!!!I have a question for Rosie: what's been the most stressful thing for you in these weeks leading up to the wedding? 😉
Suki says
Oh, yes, I'm glad you pointed that out about the speaking sweetly, Mom! ;)I'll just confirm for entropy that the previous post was not exaggerated! But we don't hold it against you.
Leila says
Rachel dear, it never occurred to me to buy Steak-Ums. You probably think I went to way too much trouble. But oh my these are good!
Jen says
Did you really have to post this on a Friday? After a stressful championship baseball game? Where all I want to do is drive 30 min. to Philly and get one (with Whiz)
Kimberly says
I have a rump roast, i was planning to cook tonight, and browsing for a new idea…i am going to cheat, and slice it up for cheese steaks. At my house they barely slow down to chew,but it looks wonderful to me.
Pippajo says
Ok, far be it from me to quibble over small details, but as a life-long South Jersey girl, having enjoyed only the best when it comes to cheesesteaks and hoagies, I feel compelled to say it can only be called a Philly cheesesteak (or hoagie for that matter) if it is served on an Amoroso's roll! I've had "Philly" cheesesteaks elsewhere and I have to say, it's the Amoroso's that makes all the difference.But, "Philly" or not, those cheesesteaks look absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious! I'm adding them to this week's menu!
Amy @ Finer Things says
Mmmm, those look delish. I'll have to make them soon!
Tracey says
Wow – I love cheesesteaks and those look delicious! Love your new "Ask" feature!
Anonymous says
Wow, I'm so excited. I'm honored. I'm famous. Seriously, I was a JUNIOR while you were a freshman. I may have been the AGE of a senior (MAY have been — going to kindergarten twice …but starting young… *grin*)…I was the typesetting coordinator and you were the good little typist who came in for a job…and astonished me by being ENGAGED!!! Or at least, soon enough you were engaged.I never had a cheesesteak at Swarthmore because I was a vegetarian then.But your pictures have made all the difference and I now REALLY want to try them!! I mean, I wanted to before, but it was on the I'll do it when I get a little energy (hah) list. Now it's higher.And I can't help liking details. I was driving my mother to distraction with my pesky little questions before I even entered kindergarten the FIRST time!!THANK YOU!!! Susan (in Delaware)
Rona's Home Pag says
I love Philly Cheesesteaks! But in our household we don't put mustard on them. Ketchup, sweet pickles, mushrooms and onions..yummy!Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'm going to show it to the husband.
Derek says
RE: Ask Auntie Leila AND Ask Rosie:Pretty please tell us your respective love stories or a put a linkie in the sidebar if you've already told the stories. Who doesn't love a good love story?Thx,RubberChickenGirl
Rebekah Daphne says
I just made these for dinner, with homemade rolls. So delicious!
Anonymous says
Just letting you know we love you for your cheesesteaks!! Have been making them about twice a month since I found the recipe here. Yum!RubberChickenGirlPS You could be as "big" as Pioneer Woman if only you people would write.(imo)
Dove says
What I want to know is, how often do you spank that 3 year old! 😉