How to make the perfect Philly cheesesteak at home

During our holiday in New York last year, we visited the popular outdoor food market Smorgasburg Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Despite it being late October, we could sit in the shade at nearly 30 degrees Celsius, enjoying a view over the East River towards Manhattan’s gigantic skyline. The view was breathtaking, almost surreal, like a photo wallpaper.

There, I had a fantastic Philly cheesesteak that can be easily recreated at home with just a few ingredients. It was a real treat.

Recreating it at home, the only compromise I had to make was with the cheese, as they grilled a large cheese wheel and scraped it directly onto the sandwich. But even my slightly simplified version just tastes irresistible.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

・4 soft rolls (pre-baked)
・2 rib-eye steaks (250 g each)
・4 large red onions
・A bit of sugar (about 1 tbsp)
・Olive oil
・4 slices of raclette cheese
・125 g mayonnaise
・2 heaped tbsp Dijon mustard

Making your Philly cheesesteak:

・Preheat the oven to 60 degrees (top and bottom heat). Place the steaks in a baking dish, lightly brush with olive oil, and put in the oven for 60 minutes.
・While the meat is in the oven, peel the onions, cut them into thin strips, and sauté them in a hot pan with olive oil. Let them stew for a while. Add the sugar to caramelize them. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
・Mix the mayo and mustard into a sauce in a small bowl.
Take the meat out of the oven and wrap it in aluminium foil. Increase the oven temperature and bake the baguette rolls until golden brown.
・Remove the rolls from the oven and switch to the grill function at 220 degrees. Put the caramelized onions in the baking dish, top with raclette cheese, and place under the grill on the top shelf until the cheese melts over the onions.
・Meanwhile, season the steaks with salt and pepper and briefly sear them on all sides in a hot pan. (This method makes every steak perfect.) Remove the meat from the pan and cut it into very thin slices. Take the onion and cheese mixture out of the oven and assemble the sandwich.
・Cut the baguette rolls open and spread with the sauce. Generously layer with meat, add some more sauce on top. Finally, place a quarter of the onion and melted cheese mixture over the meat and enjoy.