Several weeks ago I tried a new restaurant in my neighborhood that had an extensive beer selection and a decent menu to match it. With the server's suggestion, I ordered the Philly cheesesteak that had an Argentinian twist. The sandwich had sauteed onions, mushrooms, thinly sliced beef, and chimichurri aioli. It sounded like a solid sandwich but sadly, it was very oily. It was so oily that all I could taste was grease. I knew I could recreate this Philly cheesesteak and make it so much better so that's what I did today!
Philly via Argentina Cheesesteak
Ingredients
Chimichurri
- 2 cups parsley
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- ¾ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
Beef
- 1 ½ lb thinly sliced rib eye
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Sandwich
- 4 slices provolone
- 4 sandwich rolls toasted
- sweet banana peppers sliced
Instructions
- Make the chimichurri. Finely chop the parsley and combine with the garlic - salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir and let sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Combine the thinly sliced rib eye with the garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil, making sure to coat the beef evenly. Let sit 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan or cast iron pan over high heat. Add the marinated beef and let brown before flipping over, about 3-4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoon chimichurri to the beef and stir to combine.
- Lay 4 slices of provolone on top of the cooked beef and cover. Let the steam melt the cheese.
- Assemble the sandwiches by topping the bottom bun with the meat and cheese. Drizzle extra chimichurri on top and top with the sliced banana peppers. Serve immediately.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Everyone knows that Philly cheesesteaks originated from Philadelphia, but did you know that it was created by two men who owned and operated a hot dog stand? The original Philly cheesesteak was actually just a steak sandwich, no cheese included. It wasn't until years later that sliced provolone joined the club.
For the steak, you want to use thinly sliced quality beef. You can ask your butcher to prepare the meat for you in order to get the beef paper-thin.
When cooking the ribeye, make sure the pan is smoking hot before adding the meat. The hot searing pan will create a "crust" on the beef as the outside quickly cooks.
As for the cheese, provolone or American cheese are usually the top contenders but there are many restaurants that serve the sandwich with cheez wiz. I personally can't imagine making a sandwich with cheez whiz, so I stuck with provolone.
Instead of a chimichurri aioli, I went with a fresh chimichurri sauce. Drizzle extra chimichurri on the ribeye, top with banana peppers, and serve on a toasted hoagie.
This sandwich was beyond words, much better than the restaurant's Philly cheesesteak. All of the flavors are mild from the provolone to the lightly seasoned beef to the slightly tart chimichurri, allowing all of the flavors to shine. None of the ingredients are competing with one another, rather they are working together to create one solid sandwich. This is not a traditional cheesesteak, but this is one great variation of the classic sandwich.
For more sandwich inspiration check out this pastrami recipe!
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