How To Make An Authentic Philly Cheesesteak At Home, According To The Pros

Rightly or wrongly, Philadelphia has earned a reputation as a city of fighters, from its early years as a revolutionary hotbed during America's battle for independence to the "Rocky" franchise to its famously passionate sports fans. This "my way or the highway" energy even extends to the city's food culture. While pretty much everyone can accept the Philly cheesesteak as the city's de facto official sandwich, opinions vary — a lot — on who makes the best version and what the most authentic version should look and taste like.

The first cheesesteak was invented by hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri in 1930. Wanting something other than a hot dog for lunch, he fried up some meat scraps for himself and loaded them into a bun. A curious customer wanted to try his creation, so they split it — and the customer, who was impressed, urged Olivieri to start selling the sandwich. Over time, Olivieri's invention evolved into its current form, with a sturdier bun, add-ins such as grilled onions and hot peppers, and, of course, cheese. And with the new sandwich's popularity came competitors, many of whom built their own devoted fan bases. Today, variations on the cheesesteak can be found around the world, and recipes abound for those wanting to make cheesesteaks themselves. But if you want your version to pass muster in Philadelphia, it helps to have some insider instruction. Here to share his tips for an authentic Philly cheesesteak is Gregorio Fierro, a native Philadelphian, chef, and consultant to numerous Philadelphia-area sandwich and pizza shops to help you nail the Philly cheesesteak at home.

The choice of bread is a defining feature of many iconic sandwiches — no sane person would think of building a classic Reuben on raisin bread instead of hearty slices rye, for instance. And while Pat Olivieri built his first iteration of the cheesesteak on a hot dog bun (since it was all he had around), today's cheesesteak makers take their choice of bread much more seriously. They found that the hearty filling requires a roll sturdy enough to keep the sandwich together and textured enough to provide an interesting bite. "The bread is everything!" Gregorio Fierro said. "If you live outside the Philadelphia area, getting a suitable roll can be challenging. You want a roll with a bit of crispness and substance. A roll that is too soft and fragile simply won't survive the process."

So what should a suitable roll look like? In Philadelphia, a common and uncontroversial choice is a footlong hoagie roll from Amoroso's, but some sandwich makers prefer similar rolls from other local bakeries. If you are not in Philly, these may be hard to come by, as Fierro noted — but for acceptable substitutes, seek out rolls with thin, crispy crusts (you should not have to fight to bite through them) and chewy but tender interiors. You could even take a stab at making the rolls yourself, if you want to go all out.

While Pat Olivieri made the first precursor to the cheesesteak with cheap meat scraps procured from his butcher, today's cheesesteak makers take their meat much more seriously. Cheesesteaks may have been — and continue to be — a casual working-class treat, but dedicated cheesesteak aficionados know that skimping on meat quality is a nonstarter. "Most would agree that thinly sliced beef rib-eye is the benchmark," Gregorio Fierro told us. Ribeye works because its generous marbling allows the meat to stay tender and flavorful even after it has been finely shaved and aggressively browned.

But if ribeye is not in your budget — or you can't imagine investing that much in meat that will eventually get topped with bottom-shelf American cheese or Cheez Whiz — you have other options. Skirt steak, for instance, is an equally flavorful cut that runs at about half the cost of ribeye and has the added advantage of being easy to slice. Top sirloin and eye round are other flavorful options, but because they are less marbled, they can be tough if not handled and cooked carefully.

A well-made Philly cheesesteak should be an unapologetic meat feast, but you should not have to work to chew it. So do not even think about grilling a whole steak and slapping it on a roll with some toppings — a regular steak sandwich with cheese on top is not a cheesesteak. Anyone who thinks so does not know the first thing about a true Philly cheesesteak. Instead, the meat should be in fine strips or shavings and well-integrated with the melted cheese and grilled onions so that each bite offers a nicely balanced combination of flavors.

This means that you are going to have to slice your meat thinly, and this is not a fast or easy task even for experts. "Getting thinly sliced steak can be challenging, but the effort is worth it and way better than some of the frozen "formed" steaks often available at the supermarket," Gregorio Fierro said. Home cooks know well that raw meat, with its soft and slippery texture, can be a pain to cut evenly, but there is a simple way to make the job easier: Partially freeze the meat first so it is a bit stiffer and easier to control. But be careful not freeze it all of the way, or you will face the prospect of cutting through a rock-hard slab of meat, which nobody wants to do.

The non-negotiable components of a proper Philly cheesesteak are a sturdy roll, a generous portion of good-quality shaved meat, and enough melty cheese to help hold the mass of meat together. For some purists, this is enough. But for others, including Gregorio Fierro, another essential component is a generous portion of chopped, griddled onions. "Onions are mandatory, in my opinion, and should be cut into about ½ inch square cuts," he said. "They should be cooked, but not caramelized, if you seek authenticity."

The onions ideally add not only extra depth of flavor, but a bit of textural variety, too. Plan on using about half an onion if you are making two large sandwiches. Yellow onions are a great (and the most traditional) choice because of their savory flavor and their fast cooking time. Other cooks prefer sweet onions such as Vidalia. And while many recipes call for frying up chopped bell pepper along with the onions for extra crunch and color, this is simply not the custom in Philadelphia.

Great dishes inspire riffs and variations, and a quick online search for Philly cheesesteak recipes will reveal a diversity of approaches to the iconic dish. Some versions call for finely chopped or shaved meat, while others recommend slightly larger pieces. And while some season the meat with just a touch of salt and pepper, others call for marinades to add extra depth to the dish.

This step, however, is not traditional, and in Philadelphia, cooks prefer to let the flavors of the meat and cheese be the center of the attention. Diners who want punchier flavors can ask for add-ons such as pickled hot or sweet peppers, both of which are common and accepted. But some seasoning is needed, however, to bring out the full flavor of the meat. "Please take the time to season the steak on the grill with salt and pepper," Gregorio Fierro said. That's all you need.

Your choice of cheese matters when it comes to cheesesteaks, obviously. Besides adding creaminess and flavor, the cheese gives the sandwich much-needed structural integrity – as it melts into the shaved beef, it helps hold the meat and griddled onions together, thus helping to keep all the tasty meat in the bun, rather than it all falling out. For this reason, traditional cheesesteak cheeses are smooth-melting, unapologetically processed varieties: provolone, American slices, and Cheez Whiz. This is not the place for your favorite artisanal Cheddar, nor for experimentation, as onetime presidential candidate John Kerry learned the hard way: During a campaign stop at a cheesesteak shop in Philadelphia, he ordered a sandwich with Swiss cheese, a faux pas that triggered local outrage and seriously damaged his credibility (yikes).

But if you like the idea of cheesesteaks but not the prospect of fake cheese, Gregorio Fierro said you have acceptable options. "Cheez Whiz is often cited as the default (it is the original cheese, actually) but a simple processed American cheese will give a creamier, less artificial flavor," he said. "The new star in the cheesesteak world is a product called Cooper Sharp, a sharper but still very melty version of an American single." Trust the pros, people.

A good cheesesteak meal is a multi-sensory experience — the heft of a fully-loaded footlong roll in your hands, the smell of sizzling beef and onions, and taste of the combined flavors are all part of the what makes the meal so special and iconic. And just as important for some is the soundtrack at a traditional cheesesteak joint: the rhythmic ringing of a metal spatula against a flattop griddle as cooks deftly toss the meat, onions, and cheese together before flipping the mixture into a bun.

A flattop is ideal for cheesesteak production if you are cooking for a crowd, since it provides enough surface area for you to brown several portions of filling at once. And the pros have their cooking process down to a science, pushing the nearly-cooked meat into the exact shape and size of the roll before picking it up and sliding it in. But if you are making cheesesteaks at home, especially if you are only making a couple of them, a large skillet will do just fine.

Cooking a cheesesteak is a bit like making a stir-fry: Most of the work — procuring the right ingredients and ensuring your meat and onions are correctly cut — comes at the front end of the process. Because the meat is so finely sliced, the actual cooking process takes just a few minutes. And since cheesesteaks are at their best when they are hot off the griddle, this means you should plan to cook and assemble your cheesesteaks right before you serve them.

The process happens quickly, so be sure to have all the sandwich components close at hand (and your fellow diners nearby) before you start cooking. "Get the griddle or skillet nice and hot, a little oil and quick grill the onions," Gregorio Fierro said. "When they are suitably done, meaning brown edges, lay your steak down. Chopping is up to you, but most would give it a quick chop at this point." By convention, cooks give the meat a final chop with their spatulas while cooking it, but how fine the chop should be is a matter of debate (it is up to your and your diners' preferences how thin to go). After chopping comes the next critical step: "When the steak is nearly done, lay the cheese over the meat," Fierro said. It will not be long before the cheese melts — and you are ready to go.

The skilled cooks at top cheesesteak eateries know not only how to coax the most possible flavor out of a short list of ingredients, but how to do it quickly — the last thing they want is to make a long line of hungry customers cranky and impatient. And in the interest of speeding up delivery, cheesesteak devotees and cooks have developed a quick code for ordering: Simply state your cheese choice and if you want your order with or without onions. "American with," for instance, means a cheesesteak with American cheese and onions. Or "wiz witout," means adding Cheese Whiz but no onions (and, no, the word without is not misspelled there: That's how you pronounce your order in Philly).

In this spirit of efficiency, cheesesteak pros have also devised a clever way to melt cheese faster while warming up the sandwich rolls: Just open the roll and drape it over the pile of meat and cheese on your flattop or in your skillet. The roll will act like a lid, concentrating more heat on the cheese to speed up melting, all while warming up itself. Even better, this arrangement, if it is done correctly, will also streamline final assembly of the sandwich. "Most will get a large-blade spatula under the whole melty mess and flip it onto [the] roll," Gregorio Fierro explained to us.

Purists insist that a cheesesteak should be nothing more than a good roll, lots of beef and cheese, and maybe some diced, grilled onions. But even in Philadelphia, cheesesteak restaurants offer options for diners who want to personalize their orders. So if you are making cheesesteaks for a crowd, be sure to set out some extra toppings for whoever wants them.

Common add-ons include pickled hot and sweet peppers, grilled mushrooms, and condiments such as ketchup and mayo. At some places, you can lighten up your sandwich with some tomato slices and lettuce, and some cheesesteak variants include hot sauce and even tomato sauce (which, along with mozzarella cheese, turn a cheesesteak into a pizza steak). For home cooks, an easy option is to follow the lead of many cheesesteak restaurants and offer an assortment of pickles and peppers so diners can embellish their sandwiches at will. You can even have people suggest the toppings they are interested in before you even go to the grocery store so you know what to have on-hand for them.

With its generous pile of beef and oozing cheese, a cheesesteak is not a sandwich for dainty eaters. If you are hungry for one, forget about keeping your lipstick intact or your fingers grease-free — that is just not going to happen here. And if you are one of the especially tidy diners who prefers to tackle sandwiches with a fork and knife, you are going to have a rough time finding utensils sturdy enough for the task at a typical takeout cheesesteak joint (and you might look silly doing it, too).

Over the years, however, Philadelphians have figured out how to consume the messy treat without dropping gobs of meat and cheese all over themselves. First, you must eat your sandwich while standing: Philly's traditional cheesesteak eateries have standing-desk-height ledges where you can station yourself during your meal. Second, do not attempt to raise the sandwich up to your mouth as you would a dainty tea sandwich. Instead, hold your cheesesteak over the ledge, then lean over it and take a bite. Bring yourself to the food, not the food to yourself. Chances are, a few pieces of cheesy meat will drop to the ledge with each bite, but at least it will not be in your lap. Finally, if you are wearing a tie (and why not enjoy a tasty cheesesteak between high-powered business meetings, right?), tuck it into your pants or shirt so it does not catch any drips. Emily Post may roll in her grave at the thought of all this, but you will come away from your meal looking reasonably civilized with a full and satisfied stomach (and taste buds, too).