Why Everyone Makes Philly Cheesesteaks Wrong...

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📃 TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 - The Problem
0:52 - Fixing My Cooking Method
2:21 - Learning to Make Cheesesteaks Just Like Philly
8:59 - Finding the Best Cut of Meat for a Cheesesteak

Written and Filmed by: Charlie Anderson
Edited by: Van Clements and Charlie Anderson

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[gimpscalawag]

I'm impressed that someone can admit that they've made a mistake publicly and then go on to try to fix it. Usually people just continue on with their flawed path.

[PicSta]

Oil on the griddle does two things. 1st it moistens the meat 2nd it gives a much better contact, almost like frying in oil. The trick is, heat up your griddle to high temp, almost before you can see smoke coming of it, then put on the oil and the meat directly without heating up the oil. Cold oil is key and prevents from sticking. Secondly, I would season the meat after the first good sear, as salt pulls out the water and causes dryer meat what we don't want.

A thing what I tried out was to use a squeeze bottle with a very very thin broth, and squeeze a little over the meat after browning. Then the cheese melts in the steam and spreads more evenly. I hope you give this a try.

[igna]

Found your content a week ago and I can say this is the best cooking channel I've seen. You don't only show us how to make the best dishes, but, like a professional, you also take a lot of time in studying and doing the research to get the best possible results.

[davidhalldurham]

I always look forward to your videos, Charlie. Your bulldog determination is admirable.

[blankcheck]

I love that you make recipe series instead of a slap stick recipe that is almost impossible to replicate at home

[WalkerSmallEnginePerformance]

You are right on wrapping it. I used to go to Pudge's cheesteaks in Norristown, PA. The sandwiches were always a little better when you got them to go because they didn't wrap them if you ate them in the restaurant. My grandmother also used to make the best burgers on earth and she'd always wrap them in foil and bring them outside where we were working or playing. I tried and tried to duplicate them with no luck then I wrapped one in foil and left it on the counter for a bit. It still wasn't quite like hers but it was a lot closer.

[Anonymous-gbml]

In Philly its ribeye. All the places you mentioned are tops. Plenty of other great places around Philly, S. Jersey, down to the shore. You always know when its not ribeye, I never go back to those places.

[andrem]

Guess I'll be watching Charlie's new video instead of running to the store.

[ronc]

* Not sure, but I think I see you wearing a cut resistant glove beneath the blue latex glove. For those not aware of this, PLEASE: use thick, cut-resistant gloves on the mandolin. These are usually made from Kevlar, an Aramid fabric or some other material used to make bulletproof vests. Also, try using a spiked "grabber" (usually called "mandolin safety holders" or "handguards"), usually made of plastic with an ergo style handle on top and small spikes on the bottom. This is held on to the top of the food being sliced to hold it down on the mandolin. The food ends up in between the spiked grabber and the mandolin, adding extra insurance for your fingers. *

[deveus]

Worked a cheesesteak shop in high school

Steak - We would get big ribeye primals and slice them (partially frozen) very thinly on the deli slicer. We also used a flat top with different temperature zones, so that we could do a quick initial (very light) sear before moving over to a cooler temp to finish. We used a very small amount of neutral oil before placing down the beef (like a few drops and then spread around with the spatula).

seasoning - we would season the steak in advance (after slicing) and let it reabsorb moisture while in the fridge

onions - we would partially cook them and hold them warm in a restaurant container on the side of the flat top until needed. We used a little Country Crock instead of butter when prepping the onions. We were shooting for a sweet sauteed onion that still had a little bit of bite left in it.

Wrapping your sandwiches (not just cheesesteaks) always helps make them a little better.

[ericcarlos]

Been in Philly since 2007. I agree with all your observations about the cheesesteak.

You’re approach to learning about the food really shows respect for the culture of wherever you’ve been. And that’s admirable.

[wayfarin]

fave new cooking channel, hands down. i'm glad you found the absolute cheat code that is diastatic malt (surprised you didn't come across it in your pizza series, opting for sugar mostly). keep up the insane deep dives, they have already cleared up a lot of stuff for me home cooking wise.

(edit: the late seasoning that you mention at 5:40 also has an effect on how much perceived saltiness there is compared to how much salt you use. salting late tends towards more forward saltiness, so maybe he can get away with less salt and the resulting improved moisture while preserving flavor. just my 2 cents.)

[onettkid]

It’s always a good day when Charlie uploads

[MontiusPontius]

Great content as always. Excited to see the final recipe on this one.

[nancyj]

Bro: You're a legend for your dedication to my favorite. Yes: the ribeye, American cheese, and onions, all incorporated with one another, is just so good.

[craig]

I really enjoy your videos. They are very thoughtful and well crafted.

[JWG]

wrapping food 100% changes it.. the steam works into the bread. Its not just the texture but the smell gets into the bread. Smell effects taste.

[noemarzib]

Nice! I think youre really finding something novel in the world of cooking channels which is no easy feat: the trial and error process itself instead of just the final polished product. Really enjoying that aspect and look forward to the amoroso rolls and final conclusions!

Side note: Maybe consider buffalo wings next :). I've gotten close to east coast bar quality with those but not quite 100%.

[sheldoniusRex]

Questions: What, specifically, was your slicing and freezing process? Did you freeze the steaks then slice? Did you freeze after slicing? Did you do both, freeze before and after slicing?

[tommyddurand]

Nice to hear a lot of the things I do are part of your findings. I too went to philly and did a cheesesteak tour of some of the same places. Dalessandros definitely made me a fan of hot peppers on a philly. My grocery store sells shaved ribeye and that's what I've been using. I cook my onions in a cast iron and push them to the side then put my shaved ribeye in and mince it to smithereens with two spatulas and then season at the end with salt and pepper like Tony luke says, no oil in the pan other than what I used for the onions. I prefer provolone over sauces but that's just me. When I'm done it's so good I swear it came from philly or better 😊. I definitely want to try your roll recipe though.